--- title: "US markets drift near record highs as retail earnings loom" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-17T15:48:37.426Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T12:06:50.000Z" updated: "2026-08-17T16:15:17.411Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-17T14:53:20.476Z" --- # US markets drift near record highs as retail earnings loom *Investors monitor consumer spending and oil price fluctuations amid uncertainty regarding Federal Reserve interest rate decisions.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate key figures; digests add no new sourcing. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and figures present; no right of reply or next steps. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines match body; no sensationalism detected. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The S&P 500 fell 0.1% but remains close to the all-time high reached on 14 August 2026. - Retailers including Walmart and Target face scrutiny this week as investors look for signs of consumer spending trends. - Brent crude oil rose 0.4% to $88.87 per barrel amid ongoing Middle East tensions. - The 10-year US Treasury yield increased to 4.70% following stronger manufacturing data from New York. US stock indices traded near record levels on Monday, 17 August 2026. The S&P 500 declined 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 163 points, or 0.3%, by 10:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite showed little change. This market activity occurs ahead of a week featuring profit reports from major retailers such as Home Depot, Target, and Walmart, which may indicate how consumers are managing inflation and a softening labour market. In the energy sector, the price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 0.4% to $88.87. This follows a period of volatility where prices fluctuated between $72 and $102 last month due to uncertainty regarding US-Iran negotiations. In the bond market, the 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 4.70% from 4.68% on 15 August 2026. This increase follows manufacturing growth data from New York state that exceeded expectations. Corporate news included a 3.2% drop in L3Harris Technologies shares after the company announced the departure of CEO and chairman Christopher Kubasik. The company stated the exit followed conduct that did not align with company values, though it noted the issue was unrelated to financial reporting or operational performance. Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway increased its investment in Alphabet, while selling its entire position in Constellation Brands. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports ran this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 18 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (9) - Centre: 50% (9) - Right: 0% (0) 2 of 20 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-17T14:53:20.476Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-17T18:15:17.300Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Reports from the Associated Press, The Seattle Times, The Toronto Star, The Independent, The Independent (US), The Sun Chronicle, The Hamilton Spectator, and St Catharines Standard focused on the intersection of market performance and economic pressures. These reports noted that US stocks edged back from record highs following weaker than expected economic data. The Associated Press highlighted that retail customers face pressure from rising bills and a job market where employers cut more positions than they added last month. ### Centre - Centre-rated outlets, including WKMG, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Cecil Daily, Joplin Globe, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Leader-Telegram, The Star Democrat, somdnews.com, The Record, and Winnipeg Free Press, primarily reported on the mixed performance of global markets. These reports noted that Asian shares were mostly higher while US futures remained steady. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and The Seattle Times focused on how new questions are arising regarding the state of the US consumer. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 11 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel](https://gjsentinel.com/news/us/futures-mixed-in-a-big-week-for-retailers-as-new-questions-rise-over-the-consumer/article_bfe50d0b-1d3d-5306-b5ab-1455ca4a3e79.html) — Futures mixed in a big week for retailers as new questions rise over the consumer state of mind - [Perfil](https://perfil.com/noticias/economia/mercados-atentos-a-la-fed-suben-las-bolsas-asiaticas-y-el-petroleo-vuelve-a-ceder-pese-a-la-tension-en-ormuz-a40.phtml) — Markets Attentive to the Fed: Asian Stock Exchanges Rise and Oil Again Gives Way Despite the Tension in Ormuz - [awazthevoice.in](https://awazthevoice.in/business-news/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-oil-prices-hold-steady-66050.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures, oil prices hold steady - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady) — Futures mixed in a big week for retailers as new questions rise over the consumer state of mind - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_6dd3ffb4-1ba3-5ea7-95a5-051f39f97e73.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_188e33fd-2452-54a1-bf84-9c3517556d7b.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/bangkok-federal-reserve-asian-shares-tokyo-b3034018.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-futures-rates-oil-japan-bf398d5a01f611921c0b48a8bfc884d9) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/bangkok-federal-reserve-asian-shares-tokyo-b3034018.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Cecil Daily](https://cecildaily.com/ap/world/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_802cb98e-961e-5a75-a361-25f3db8dbea0.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Joplin Globe](https://joplinglobe.com/region/national_business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_1c9a8dab-b5b7-54e5-9d2b-3120c743dc08.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Bozeman Daily Chronicle](https://bozemandailychronicle.com/wire/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_47724fd8-88b0-5757-8093-c12738d7d0d2.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Leader-Telegram](https://leadertelegram.com/news/nation-world/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_20d10f49-4cf3-55ed-8972-febb237ae162.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Star Democrat](https://stardem.com/ap/world/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_e0b170fd-01e4-5705-a2b6-499d7abfcaba.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Sun Chronicle](https://thesunchronicle.com/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_c73d2f1f-f4d4-57b4-9e96-331bc45eee58.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [somdnews.com](https://somdnews.com/ap/world/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_fdded99d-16e1-5f9e-81b6-22ec0ebaf7e7.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/business/2026/08/17/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_64b872d7-8520-5a8f-825e-505f35a55560.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [The Record](https://therecord.com/business/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady/article_f6d97775-5b3b-5576-802c-06184965b365.html) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/08/17/asian-shares-are-mostly-higher-while-us-futures-and-oil-prices-hold-steady) — Asian shares are mostly higher while US futures and oil prices hold steady ## Questions **How did the US stock indices perform?** The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% but stayed near its all-time high from 14 August 2026. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 163 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite remained virtually unchanged during Monday trading. **Why are retail earnings important this week?** Major retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Walmart are due to release profit reports this week. These results may provide insight into how consumers are managing high inflation and a slowing job market, which could influence broader economic outlooks. **What is affecting oil prices?** The price of Brent crude rose 0.4% to $88.87 on 17 August 2026. Market volatility in the energy sector has been driven by tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty regarding potential deals between the United States and Iran. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US markets drift near record highs as retail earnings loom", https://mediabias.news/business/us-markets-drift-near-record-highs-as-retail-earnings-loom