$SPY

Oil prices fell to a one-week low, with WTI crude down 3.2% and Brent crude down 2.92%, following the U.S. announcement of sweeping sanctions against Iran. The market reacted to reports suggesting reduced risk of immediate U.S.-Iran conflict escalation. Treasury yields slipped, and equities rose, with SPY up 0.48% and DAL up 2.12% in premarket trading.

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) led ETF inflows with $1.19B, while mega-cap ETFs like QQQ, IVV, and SPY saw outflows totaling $4.35B. Defensive and diversified ETFs also attracted significant inflows, indicating investor reallocation across asset classes.

The Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing index rose to 47.4 in August, exceeding expectations. Future activity index hit 73.6, highest since 1983. 75% of firms expect growth. Capital spending index at 53-year high. Employment index improved. Prices paid and received declined but remain elevated. ISM and NY Fed reports also surpassed forecasts. iShares U.S. Manufacturing ETF (MADE) up 29% year-to-date, outperforming QQQ and SPY.

UBS expects the S&P 500, tracked by SPY, to reach 8,100 by 2026, a 6% increase from its current level. This forecast is based on projected earnings growth to $400 per share by 2027, driven by AI adoption. However, prediction markets are uncertain about maintaining this level, citing risks like war-related inflation and rising borrowing costs. UBS's outlook depends on economic growth, monetary policy, and AI spending, with key contributions from Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet.

Investors added $1.89B to SPY, while QQQ saw $1.24B in outflows. VTI and VOO gained $1.05B and $695.6M, respectively. Gold and tech ETFs like GLD and SOXL experienced outflows. Defensive ETFs like TLT and LQD saw inflows. CNEQ and JGRO also had notable gains.

Home Depot (HD) reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings, with EPS of $4.92 vs. $4.73 consensus and revenue of $47.86B vs. $47.24B consensus. The company guided FY27 earnings between $14.69 and $15.28, below the $14.94 consensus. U.S. national debt is nearing $40T, with rising global yields due to increasing debt and oil price concerns. Memory stocks like Micron (MU) and SK Hynix (SKHY) are pulling back after a recent rally. Early trade shows positive flows in Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT),

iTrustCapital said it launched trading of thousands of U.S. stocks and ETFs across its Tax-Advantaged IRA and Premium Custody accounts, alongside crypto and physical gold and silver. The lineup includes AAPL, TSLA, NVDA, AMZN, MSFT, COIN, SPY and QQQ, with fractional shares from $20 and commission-free trades. iTrustCapital also plans an AI crypto trading tool and crypto-backed loans.

Gotham Asset Management's Q2 2026 13F filing revealed a defensive shift, with a $2.65B increase in SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) holdings, now 20% of its portfolio. The firm also added positions in Humana (HUM), General Mills (GIS), Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), and KLA Corporation (KLAC), focusing on defensive sectors and market beta. Humana showed 26.2% revenue growth, while General Mills offers a 6.22% yield. Vornado's Manhattan office occupancy improved to 92.2%.

Bitcoin held near $64,000, up about 1.2% in 24 hours, while crypto-linked stocks fell in pre-market trading. Glassnode said BTC underperformed the S&P 500 in two of the last three sessions and only about one-third of days over three months. Circle (CRCL) fell over 3%, Robinhood (HOOD) about 2%, and Strategy (MSTR) about 1.5%.

On Aug 16, 2026, SPY fell 0.198% to $776.34 after a record high two days earlier, amid weaker retail sales and softer consumer sentiment, plus reduced odds of a September Fed hike. Sector rotation favored Energy (XLE +1.39%) and Industrials (XLI +0.39%) over Tech (XLK -0.40%) and Healthcare (XLV -0.60%). AMD rose 6.5% on a Baird upgrade; Broadcom slid ~6% on VMware exploit and debt concerns; Oracle fell 3.65% on a project delay; Intel dropped ~2% after a $15B offering; Adobe fell 2.39% after tar