Sasha Jovanovic
3 min read
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The Morning Bull – US Market Morning Update Friday, Aug, 21 2026
US stock futures are slightly softer this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts edging down about 0.1%, as investors digest a fresh mix of interest rate and bond market signals. The US Treasury plans to double its buybacks of long term bonds, which has pulled 30 year yields lower and is an attempt to ease the pressure from higher borrowing costs. At the same time, Federal Reserve minutes show some officials were ready to raise rates again to keep inflation in check. The key question for investors now is how much higher for longer rates could affect rate sensitive areas such as banks, real estate and smaller US companies.
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Top Movers
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Strategy (MSTR) jumped 7.81% as traders reacted to renewed interest in listed bitcoin proxies.
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Coinbase Global (COIN) gained 7.58% after President Trump pushed Congress to advance the Clarity Act for crypto.
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Deere (DE) rose 6.94% following quarterly results that showed higher sales, revenue and earnings per share.
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Top Losers
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Moderna (MRNA) fell 23.55% as traders reassessed Moderna after prior sessions’ sharp rally on cancer data.
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Walmart (WMT) declined 9.15% after mixed earnings and several analyst target cuts and rating changes.
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FTAI Aviation (FTAI) fell 6.21%.
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On The Radar
Rate expectations and global activity gauges are in focus, with Chicago Fed data and international confidence readings setting the tone.
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US activity pulse: The Chicago Fed National Activity Index on Monday offers a broad read on July growth trends.
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Global demand watch: South Korea Consumer Confidence on Monday highlights how households view spending and income momentum.
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Brazil policy expectations: The BCB Focus Market Readout on Monday outlines economists’ views on Brazil’s rates and inflation path.
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US rates backdrop: Recent Fed minutes and Treasury buybacks frame how investors assess future funding costs and bond volatility.
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