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Business & Economy13 outlets ran this5 min read

US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom

Wall Street opened lower on 12 August 2026 as investors weighed Middle East tensions and upcoming US economic reports

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Camera IconConsumer and producer inflation readings due later this week could offer clues on interest rates. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP

What this story says

  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened 0.13% lower at 53,964.05 on 12 August 2026, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also dipping slightly.
  • Iran said it was close to finalising new shipping lanes with Oman but insisted the US must meet conditions before the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
  • Investors focused on upcoming US inflation data, which could shape expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike in September, currently given a 44% probability.
  • 85.1% of S&P 500 companies reporting June-quarter earnings beat estimates, exceeding the historical average of 67%.

Who covered it

Left 0%(0)Centre 67%(6)Right 33%(3)

Percentages are shares of the 9 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 4 of the 13 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

86/100

Craft

95/100

Hype

15/100

13 sources · methodology

Thin on the left so far

None of the 9 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.

This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.

Wall Street opened lower on 12 August 2026 as investors assessed developments in the Middle East and awaited key US economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 72.88 points, or 0.13%, to 53,964.05 at 9:35 a.m. ET, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also recorded minor declines. The S&P 500 energy index rose 2.6%, tracking a 2% increase in oil prices.

Iran announced it was close to a final agreement with Oman on new shipping lanes but reiterated that the US must meet several conditions before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen. The potential easing of energy flows through the waterway could reduce pressure on oil prices and inflation, which has influenced expectations for central bank rate hikes. Consumer and producer inflation data due later in the week were expected to provide clues on the Federal Reserve’s next policy moves.

Traders priced in a 44% probability of a September rate hike, according to the CME FedWatch tool, after US jobs data for July showed an unexpected decline. Corporate earnings continued to support market sentiment, with 85.1% of the 436 S&P 500 companies reporting June-quarter results beating estimates, above the historical average of 67%. JPMorgan raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 8,000 from 7,800.

What the coverage left out

No left-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the US Senate’s passage of a temporary funding bill to avert a government shutdown. The centre-rated digests also omitted this detail, though PerthNow’s full report included it. None of the digests from either side reported JPMorgan’s raised year-end S&P 500 target of 8,000.

Tags:#USMarkets#StraitOfHormuz#FederalReserve#InflationData#CorporateEarnings

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 10 Aug 2026, 20:46, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

US stocks subdued as traders monitor Hormuz developments.
Times of IndiaRight

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

0 rated outlets

No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.

Centre

6 rated outlets

  • The five centre-rated digests and reports led on the interplay between Middle East developments and US economic data. PerthNow and Business Recorder highlighted the 2.6% rise in the S&P 500 energy index, linking it to oil price movements. The Economic Times and ANSA noted the minor declines in the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq, framing the session as one of investor caution ahead of inflation data. Live Mint reported the Dow down 0.2% at 53,937.14, slightly at odds with the 9:35 a.m. ET figure of 53,964.05 carried by other outlets.
  • PerthNow’s full report included comments from Bob Edwards, chief investment officer at Edwards Asset Management, who said, "The prevailing narrative is that inflation remains... high, but is not that far from the Fed’s 2.0 per cent goal." The report also noted that six of the 11 S&P 500 sectors were lower, with real estate and consumer staples the biggest drags. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the US Senate’s passage of a temporary funding bill to avert a government shutdown.

Right

3 rated outlets

  • The three right-rated digests and reports focused on the geopolitical risks posed by the Strait of Hormuz situation. The Times of India’s full report, mirroring PerthNow’s, led with the Dow’s 0.13% decline and Iran’s conditions for reopening the waterway. It noted the 44% probability of a September rate hike and the 85.1% of S&P 500 companies beating earnings estimates, but did not quote Bob Edwards or mention the US Senate’s funding bill.
  • Handelsblatt’s digest described the trading week as starting unevenly, attributing this to oil prices and inflation data. The West Australian’s digest framed the session as one where Wall Street was "mulling developments in the Middle East" alongside inflation data and earnings. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the S&P 500’s record close on the previous Friday or JPMorgan’s raised year-end target.

Read it at the source

20 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

Centre

8

Right

7

Not rated

5

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom?
Of the 9 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 0% are rated left, 67% are rated centre, 33% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 13. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is the coverage of US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom biased?
US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered US markets dip as Iran-Oman shipping deal and inflation data loom?
13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
Why did US markets open lower on 12 August 2026?
US markets opened lower due to investor caution over Middle East tensions, particularly Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and anticipation of key US inflation data. The Dow Jones fell 72.88 points, or 0.13%, at the open, reflecting these concerns.
What did Iran say about the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran said it was close to finalising new shipping lanes with Oman but insisted the US must meet several conditions before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen. This development was closely watched by markets due to its potential impact on oil prices and global energy flows.
How likely is a Federal Reserve rate hike in September?
The CME FedWatch tool indicated a 44% probability of a September rate hike on 12 August 2026. This followed US jobs data showing an unexpected decline in July, which tempered expectations for a hike.
How many S&P 500 companies beat earnings estimates in the June quarter?
85.1% of the 436 S&P 500 companies reporting June-quarter earnings beat estimates, according to LSEG data. This exceeded the historical average of 67% and contributed to market optimism despite broader caution.

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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