17th August 2026 – (New York) S&P 500 is little changed as traders weigh AI optimism vs. Iran tensions: Live updates. The broad US benchmark hovered around the flatline after the opening bell, while the Nasdaq Composite edged about 0.1 per cent higher and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped roughly 0.2 per cent, reflecting a tug‑of‑war between enthusiasm for artificial intelligence beneficiaries and geopolitical jitters.
Chipmakers supported the tech‑heavy Nasdaq after reports of a sharp year‑on‑year jump in second‑quarter revenue at Anthropic to more than $11.5 billion, lifting Micron Technology by over 4 per cent, with Broadcom and Nvidia also firmer. At the same time, crude prices advanced as a senior Iranian official signalled the country could adopt a more offensive posture if diplomacy with the United States fails, pushing West Texas Intermediate up around 0.5 per cent to near $83 per barrel and Brent up about 0.6 per cent to roughly $89.
The S&P 500’s stall comes after last week’s fresh record high, underpinned by robust earnings that have buoyed sentiment even as investors debate the durability of the ai trade and monitor conflict risks in the Middle East. Softer‑than‑expected retail sales alongside a relatively mild inflation reading have tempered expectations of a near‑term Federal Reserve rate increase, adding support to longer‑duration growth shares.
With fewer immediate catalysts on the calendar, attention turns to the Fed’s meeting minutes due Wednesday and to retail heavyweights reporting this week, including Home Depot on Tuesday, Lowe’s on Wednesday and Walmart on Thursday. Earlier, the New York Fed’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey rose five points to 20.6, the strongest in more than four years, with unfilled orders jumping even as new orders and shipments moderated from July; the employment component eased to 9.3, while prices paid increased and prices received ticked lower, signalling ongoing but mixed cost pressures.
Oil‑linked headlines also weighed on risk appetite after suggestions that tensions could escalate in the Strait of Hormuz if talks falter, coinciding with the scheduled expiry of a 60‑day ceasefire period. Meanwhile, early movers before the bell included Alibaba, which gained about 1.5 per cent on reports it plans to sell its gaming arm Lingxi Games to private equity firm Trustar Capital for more than $2 billion; Intel, which rose roughly 1.5 per cent after a regulatory filing disclosed a purchase of more than 105,000 shares at $95 apiece last week; and SoFi Technologies, up around 2 per cent after Piper Sandler initiated coverage with an overweight rating, citing a growing addressable market and a strengthening product set.
By 9.30am ET, the S&P 500 was little changed, the Nasdaq Composite up about 0.2 per cent and the Dow lower by around 0.2 per cent,
