Trade prices fall.
AI shares retreat.
U.S. import prices fell 0.4% in July and export prices declined 1.3%. By 9:35 a.m. Eastern, the S&P 500 was down 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.1%, while Brent crude traded at $91.45 and the 10-year Treasury yield held near 4.72%.
AI-related shares led Tuesday’s early decline
The S&P 500 was down 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.1% at 9:35 a.m. Eastern.
The Associated Press reported that Micron was down 3.5%, Nvidia was down 1.6%, and Broadcom was down 2.2% shortly after the open. The three indexes on the market board had also closed lower Monday: the S&P 500 fell 0.52%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.32%, and the Russell 2000 fell 0.35%.
The early move was concentrated in several large AI-related companies rather than evenly distributed across every sector. The next useful check is whether the decline remains concentrated or broadens during the session.
Import and export prices declined in July
Import prices fell 0.4% and export prices fell 1.3% from June.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the decline in import prices was the largest monthly drop since May 2025. Fuel-import prices fell 7.2%, while nonfuel import prices rose 0.4%.
Compared with July 2025, import prices were 5.9% higher. The report therefore shows a monthly decline alongside a still-positive year-over-year rate. Export prices were 8.2% higher than a year earlier.
Long-term yields and oil remained elevated
The 10-year Treasury yield held near 4.72%, while Brent crude rose to $91.45.
The Associated Press reported both figures at 9:35 a.m. Eastern. The 10-year yield was unchanged from late Monday, while Brent was up 0.6% from Monday’s settlement.
Higher oil prices and long-term yields coincided with the decline in higher-valued technology shares. That timing does not establish a single cause, but both inputs affect inflation expectations and the discount rates used to value future cash flows.
Home Depot reports higher sales and keeps its outlook unchanged
Second-quarter revenue rose to $47.86 billion from $45.28 billion a year earlier.
U.S. comparable sales rose 1.3%, customer transactions declined 1%, and the average ticket increased to $92.50 from $90.01. Adjusted earnings were $4.92 per share.
Home Depot kept its fiscal 2026 sales-growth range of 2.5% to 4.5% and its comparable-sales range of flat to up 2%. The company said smaller projects contributed to demand while larger projects remained affected by housing and financing conditions.
Private credit
The latest tracked private-credit development remains the August 14 report that Nvidia was working with several asset managers on proposed AI-compute financing platforms. The structures and commitments were reported as being under discussion, not completed transactions.
Trade prices fell,
while AI shares moved lower.
U.S. import prices fell 0.4% in July and export prices declined 1.3%, with lower fuel-import prices accounting for much of the import decline. By 9:35 a.m. Eastern, the S&P 500 was down 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.1% as several large AI-related shares declined. Brent crude traded at $91.45, and the 10-year Treasury yield held near 4.72%. Home Depot reported $47.86 billion of quarterly revenue and kept its full-year sales outlook unchanged.
Sources: Associated Press August 18 markets, Associated Press August 17 index closes, Bureau of Labor Statistics July import and export prices, The Home Depot Investor Relations, Associated Press Home Depot results, FRED 2-year Treasury yield, FRED 10-year Treasury yield, New York Fed SOFR via FRED, FRED Cboe VIX, Federal Reserve FOMC calendar, U.S. Treasury tentative auction schedule, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2026 release calendar, Reuters private-credit roundup, Applied Materials SEC earnings exhibit, Tapestry SEC earnings exhibit, Cisco SEC earnings exhibit.
Research cutoff: August 18, 2026, 10:50 a.m. Eastern (9:50 a.m. Central). Intraday figures may change after publication. Prior-close and daily series retain their observation dates. For informational purposes only. Nothing here is personalized investment advice.