【FXCM】14 August 2026 · Daily Market Update

📊 Gold / FX / Index Daily Update | 14 August 2026

Dear traders — todays market focus shifts from inflation to the U.S. consumer.

After softer July PPI helped push the S&P 500 to another record close, todays U.S. Retail Sales and University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment data may show whether economic growth remains resilient despite softer employment and elevated energy costs.

🟡 GOLD WATCH — XAUUSD

Quick View:

Gold fell around 1.3% to approximately $4,351 after reaching a two-month high near $4,449.

Key levels to watch:

$4,300 support / $4,350 pivot / $4,450-$4,500 resistance

Why watch it？

Gold remains sensitive to:

• U.S. retail sales

• Treasury yields

• Fed expectations

• USD direction

• geopolitical risk

A weaker consumer reading may support lower yields, while strong sales could increase expectations that the U.S. economy can tolerate tighter monetary policy.

🔥 OIL WATCH — WTI / BRENT

Brent: around $87.07, -2.1%

WTI: around $81.25, down more than 2%.

Key levels:

Brent $85 / $87 / $90

WTI $80 / $81-$82 / $85

Oil fell as weaker demand forecasts and higher inventories offset geopolitical risk.

However, the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved, so Oil may still react rapidly to new U.S.-Iran or shipping headlines.

💵 FX WATCH — USDJPY / EURUSD

USDJPY

USDJPY remained near 159.55.

Key levels:

159.00 / 159.50 / 160.00

The 160 area remains particularly important because intervention risk may increase again.

Strong retail sales may support Treasury yields and USDJPY; weaker data may pressure the dollar.

EURUSD

EURUSD traded near 1.1526, broadly unchanged.

Key levels:

1.1500 / 1.1530 / 1.1600

📈 US INDEX WATCH — US30 / NAS100 / SPX500

Thursday:

Dow +0.13%

S&P 500 +0.65% → record close

Nasdaq Composite +0.81%

NAS100 approximately +1.2%.

Key areas:

US30 — 53,500-54,000

SPX500 — 7,750-7,800

NAS100 — around 30,000 psychological area

Softer inflation remains supportive, but todays question is different:

Can consumer spending stay strong enough to support earnings without pushing Fed expectations higher again？

🤖 AI STOCKS WATCH — NVIDIA / SEMICONDUCTORS

Thursdays AI and memory names remained strong:

Micron +4.2%

SanDisk +13.7%

Nvidia +0.5%.

Applied Materials then reported stronger-than-expected revenue and forward guidance after the close, supported by AI-chip, DRAM and advanced-packaging demand — yet the stock fell about 4% after hours because expectations were already very high.

Key AI focus:

• Nvidia momentum

• Applied Materials post-earnings reaction

• Memory-chip demand

• AI data-centre spending

• Semiconductor equipment demand

• Treasury yields

• NAS100 breadth

The AI trade remains strong, but markets are increasingly rewarding companies only when results materially exceed already elevated expectations.

🚘 TESLA / ALPHABET / INTEL

Thursday:

Tesla +3.79%

Alphabet +0.79%

Intel +3.64%.

Key themes:

• Tesla growth-stock momentum

• Alphabet AI monetisation

• Intel foundry turnaround

• Lower Treasury yields

• Broad semiconductor strength

🌏 ASIA INDEX WATCH

HKG33

Thursday approximately -0.17% to 25,396.51.

Key levels:

25,000 / 25,500 / 26,000

JPN225

Thursday approximately +1.16% to 68,308.59.

Key levels:

68,000 / 68,500 / 69,000

Japan remained supported by technology demand, but rising expectations for a BOJ rate increase and USDJPY intervention risk remain important.

📌 TODAYS KEY FOCUS

🇺🇸 8:30 a.m. ET — U.S. Retail Sales, July

Expected around +0.2% MoM.

Watch:

• headline retail sales

• core retail sales

• online spending

• automobile demand

• gasoline-related spending

🇺🇸 10:00 a.m. ET — Michigan Consumer Sentiment, Preliminary August

Also watch:

• Current Conditions

• Consumer Expectations

• 1-year inflation expectations

• long-term inflation expectations

🇺🇸 10:00 a.m. ET — Business Inventories, June

And:

• Applied Materials post-earnings reaction

• Nvidia and semiconductor momentum

• Strait of Hormuz developments

• USDJPY near 160

• Treasury-yield reaction

⚠️ Our products are traded on leverage which means they carry a high level of risk and you could lose more than your deposits. These products are not suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks and carefully consider your financial situation and trading experience before trading.

Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, other information, or links to third-party sites contained herein are provided on an "as-is" basis, as general market commentary and do not constitute investment advice. The market commentary has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, and it is therefore not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of dissemination. Please ensure that you read and understand our Full Disclaimer and Liability provision concerning the foregoing Information, which can be accessed here.