US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Nudge Higher As Spending Slows Inflation Stays

The Morning Bull – US Market Morning Update Tuesday, Aug, 18 2026

US stock futures are slightly higher, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts up about 0.1%, as investors weigh weaker spending against persistent price concerns. US retail sales fell 0.6% in July, which suggests that households are pulling back on big ticket items such as cars, fuel, and electronics. At the same time, the 10 year US government bond yield is holding near 4.7% and the Michigan survey puts year ahead inflation expectations at 4.3%. This indicates that borrowing costs may remain relatively high. An important question now is whether slower spending helps or hurts interest sensitive sectors such as retailers and real estate compared with growth focused tech and mid cap stocks.

With inflation expectations still sticky and borrowing costs elevated, focus on 80 resilient stocks with low risk scores before conditions tighten further.

Top Movers

• Cerebras Systems (CBRS) jumped 15.07% after analysts highlighted earnings strength and increasing demand for its AI hardware.
• Sandisk (SNDK) gained 8.88% as multiple banks raised price targets following its bullish investor day.
• Credo Technology Group Holding (CRDO) advanced 8.82%.

Is Sandisk still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.

Top Losers

• Reddit (RDDT) fell 7.63% after a price target increase highlighted mixed user and AI headwinds.
• Carvana (CVNA) declined 7.28% following details of a new US$1.66b term loan B facility.
• Charter Communications (CHTR) dropped 6.59% after receiving final California approval for the US$21.9b Cox acquisition.

If you are watching Reddit, Carvana or Charter Communications after these sharp moves, it helps to ground your view in fundamentals. Check how they compare on balance sheet strength, profitability and risk using the solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks screener (50 results).

Look past the noise – uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Charter Communications’ long-term success.

Look past the noise – uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Charter Communications’ long-term success.

On The Radar

Big box retail earnings and interest rate expectations will steer the US market over the next three sessions.

• Home Improvement Retailers: Home Depot (HD) reports Q2 2027 results on Tuesday, offering a read on discretionary home spending.
• China Tech: Baidu (BIDU) posts Q2 2026 results on Tuesday, highlighting advertising trends and AI investment priorities.
• U.S. Retail Giants: Walmart (WMT) releases Q2 2027 results on Thursday, framing how shoppers respond to higher borrowing costs.
• Big Box Retail: Target (TGT) reports Q2 2027 results on Wednesday, clarifying demand for discretionary versus everyday categories.
• Semiconductors: Analog Devices (ADI) reports Q3 2026 on Wednesday, giving a snapshot of industrial and auto chip demand.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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