News desk · Evening edition · Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Equities are holding near record highs even as long-term rates spike, with the 30-year Treasury yield above 5.31% for the first time in 19 years while the VIX slides to 14.25. Geopolitical risk is rising as Trump refuses to extend the Iran ceasefire and threatens Oman, with Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic hitting a new low. Energy stocks lead all sectors over the past month while crude inventories jumped 4.3% week over week.

auto-generated · written Aug 18, 2026, 1:20 AM EDT

Prices in this edition were taken live, not from stored closes. They were read at the Evening edition slot on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Anything named as a cause may come from a headline the desk was given.

Equities

Anthropic's annualized revenue run rate surged to $65 billion in July, up sevenfold year over year
Meta heads into a federal trial in California over child safety claims with 'astronomical' potential penalties
Under Armour's turnaround stalled as North America demand deteriorated sharply

Sector and commodities

Memory-chip stocks including Micron and SanDisk rallied on AI-driven demand confidence
Trump refuses to extend the Iran ceasefire, threatens Oman, as Hormuz shipping traffic hits a new low
New Trump tariffs on Canada, including 50% duties on liquor and wood products, take effect this week

Crypto

Ondo's tokenized equity platform volume has reportedly surged to $27 billion
Reddit shares jumped 11% in a move analysts said had little to do with fundamentals

Fixed income

Treasury yields surged to multi-decade highs, with the 30-year topping 5.31%, a 19-year high
A popular Treasury-bond ETF fell to its lowest level since 2004 ahead of FOMC minutes

VIX (VIX)-2.6%

The VIX has drifted steadily lower to 14.25, signaling fading hedging demand despite geopolitical headlines.

Nikkei 225 (N225)-1.4%

The Nikkei's late-summer rebound to 68,713 contrasts with today's 1.4% pullback to 67,768.

10Y Treasury Yield (TNX)+1.2%

The 10-year yield's climb to 4.70% reflects the broader surge in long-term Treasury yields to multi-decade highs.