Fresh pressure is easing on global shipping routes after Ukraine halted attacks on Russian oil tankers. The move follows a direct request from Senator JD Vance and removes an immediate threat to Black Sea logistics. That development lands as U.S. inflation eased in July with food and fuel costs cooling. The annual rate fell to 3.4%. New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh called for patience in bringing inflation back to target without shocking the economy. In U.S. markets the S&P 500 is down slightly at 7,745.94 while the VIX has slipped to 14.86. Quantinuum posted its first earnings since its IPO and struck a major quantum computing deal with Oracle. That news helped lift AI infrastructure names with CoreWeave and Supermicro both surging after strong results. Lumentum shares jumped on stronger optical networking demand, adding fuel to the sector. The biggest risk now facing America's data center building boom is power and grid capacity as logistics and real economy constraints tighten behind the AI surge. The S&P 500 was at 7,745.94; the VIX at 14.86; oil at $82.78 a barrel; gold at $4,483 an ounce; Bitcoin near $63,431; and Ethereum at $1,889.

Condor Studio News · 10:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

UK Treasury modelling has warned Prime Minister Andy Burnham that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz from the Iran conflict could slash British growth to just 0.9% this year and only 0.3% in 2027. Higher oil and fuel prices plus supply chain chaos are already weighing on the economy. US inflation cooled as expected with consumer prices rising just 0.1 percent in July, bringing the annual rate down to 3.4 percent as food costs eased. Oil is trading at $82.78 a barrel after easing on the tame data. Crypto.com has launched tokenized derivatives tracking 1,500 US stocks and ETFs including Nvidia and Tesla, available 24/7 to eligible users in Europe with investments from as little as $1. In US markets the S&P 500 has climbed to 7,749.33 while the VIX fear gauge has eased to 14.93. Gold hit $4,477 an ounce, Bitcoin traded near $63,815 and Ethereum at $1,900.

Condor Studio News · 9:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

Good morning from Nashville, it's Wednesday, August twelfth, two thousand twenty-six, and we're live at eight fifty Chicago time. The tape opened with a quiet confidence this morning. You can feel the difference when the option surface lines up orderly instead of flashing warning lights. That's the picture right now. If you've been listening, we talked earlier this week about how persistent federal deficits keep real borrowing costs from falling even when jobs data soften. That thread is still running, and it shows up first in how risk gets priced rather than in headline levels. Here's the premise for today. With inflation cooling to three point four percent in July, the market is pricing a steadier path for the Fed. That has translated into Clear Skies on the Fear Wave radar. Institutions appear willing to let the range hold without forcing a big call-side push right at the open. Fear Wave is the weather radar we use for the S&P options surface. Most folks watch the index number like they're looking out the windshield in the rain. We scan the full surface, puts and calls, how premiums are building or fading. That tells us whether a storm cell is forming before the price board catches up. This morning the three early sweeps after the open showed orderly ripples across both sides. No heavy call-side water building, no sudden put-side pressure either. That is Clear Skies. When the radar reads Clear Skies we file all three tiers under the normal gates. Conservative, Balanced, and Aggressive all stay in play with standard wing widths. That decision matches what we saw in the first post-open looks. Cooler CPI gives the Fed more room to stay patient in September. Yet the deficit story we flagged keeps gold supported near record levels without needing an immediate breakout. The real cost of capital stays elevated, so risk assets remain sentiment-driven while gold acts as the cleaner hedge. Ms Vixxy flagged the CPI release earlier and the reaction in gold. What it means is the options market is pricing less immediate volatility, which lines up with the Clear Skies we have right now. One forward watch for the session. Watch whether any fresh Washington spending talk adds water back to the radar by midday. If the surface stays calm we should see the S&P respect the current band without a decisive break. If it tilts toward Yellow Watch we tighten back to the Conservative tier only. The market thinks we land near seventy-seven thirty tomorrow, thin air above us but no storm front building yet. That is the setup for the open. Cash is already trading and the radar supports staying engaged across the tiers

That's the read from Nashville for Wednesday, August 12, 2026. I'm Russell Clark, and we'll see you at the next session. Trade the plan, not the noise.

U.S. consumer inflation cooled to 3.4% in July, matching expectations and reinforcing hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. Core prices rose 2.5% year-over-year, also in line with forecasts. With the numbers now in, all eyes are on Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and whether the central bank will view this as enough progress to begin easing borrowing costs next month. President Trump and congressional Republicans have stepped up pressure on the Fed for faster relief for families and businesses still squeezed by 3.4% headline inflation that continues to outpace wage growth. Stock futures are perking up after the report. The S&P 500 last closed at 7,728.20 while the VIX stood at 15.16. Gold is up 0.4% at $4,492 an ounce. The S&P 500 was at 7,728.20; the VIX at 15.16; oil at $83.44 a barrel; gold at $4,492 an ounce; Bitcoin near $64,094; and Ethereum at $1,911.

Condor Studio News · 8:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

Gold is holding near record levels at $4,473 an ounce as traders await today's crucial US July CPI data that could dictate the Federal Reserve's next move under Chair Kevin Warsh. European bourses are little changed with Germany's DAX trading near 26,512 and Britain's FTSE near 10,844. Oil has edged higher to $83.41 a barrel on persistent geopolitical tensions around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, where senior Iranian officials insist the waterway stays closed unless US conditions are met. Bitcoin trades at $64,174 and Ethereum at $1,913 as strong AI-related earnings continue to support risk appetite. Money markets price roughly a 50-50 chance of a Fed rate hike next month, with analysts warning that sticky core services inflation or oil-driven pressures could keep that outlook intact.

Condor Studio News · 7:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

Traders are watching every tick ahead of today's CPI release as Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack warns one rate hike alone will not be enough as inflation continues to swallow workers' wage gains. The data lands at 8:30 Eastern and will set the tone for September FOMC odds and the U.S. open. In Europe the DAX is trading near 26,524 while the FTSE is trading near 10,849. Oil has edged higher now at $83.09 a barrel. Bitcoin holds near $64,095 and Ethereum trades at $1,908. Gold is steady at $4,474 an ounce.

Condor Studio News · 6:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

Chinese tech giant Tencent has posted stronger than expected revenue driven by accelerating games sales and AI powered advertising even as another artificial intelligence laboratory continues burning through cash. The results come as investors weigh the soaring cost of artificial intelligence development with one fund manager warning artificial intelligence capital expenditure could reach $1.6 trillion next year and drawing parallels to 1998 rather than the dot-com bust. Oil has fallen 1.1% to $82.68 a barrel after a fresh drone attack hit a power station at Libya's Zawiya oil export terminal, the fourth strike in recent days on the key facility that ships up to 120,000 barrels per day. Tanker tracking data continues to contradict U.S. claims that Middle East oil flows have normalized through the Strait of Hormuz. In European trading the DAX is trading near 26,507 and the FTSE is trading near 10,853, both up 0.2%. Gold is $4,474 an ounce, Bitcoin is $63,993 and Ethereum is $1,902. Oil at $82.68 a barrel; gold at $4,474 an ounce; Bitcoin near $63,993; and Ethereum at $1,902.

Condor Studio News · 5:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

And in European and Asian news, probation chiefs in England and Wales say they are not fully confident the service will cope with the extra pressure from the forthcoming early release of prisoners. Chief inspector Martin Jones warned there's a risk that things will go wrong as the probation service already manages nearly three times the current prison population. At the same time the Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for much of England and all of Wales with temperatures forecast to hit 38°C. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is chairing a Cobra emergency meeting to coordinate the response to the fifth heatwave of the summer. In Asian markets Singapore and South Korea have pulled Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning over banned poppy seeds. Europe's main bourses are little changed in early trade with Germany's DAX trading near 26,443. Oil is down 0.3% at $83.61 a barrel. Gold is steady at $4,465 an ounce. Bitcoin and Ethereum are each up 0.1%. Oil at $83.61 a barrel; gold at $4,465 an ounce; Bitcoin near $63,728; and Ethereum at $1,890.

Condor Studio News · 4:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

Bitcoin is up two-tenths of one percent at $63,680 as fresh hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz send shipping traffic to a one-week low. Ethereum is also two-tenths higher at $1,888. In Asian markets the Hang Seng finished at 25,407. In Europe the DAX is two-tenths of one percent higher trading near 26,434. Oil is holding near $83.85 a barrel on the Iran impasse while gold is two-tenths higher at $4,467 an ounce.

Condor Studio News · 3:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.

UK extreme heat has triggered an emergency Cobra meeting as temperatures climb toward a scorching 38C. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair the crisis committee today while wildfires stretch emergency services to the limit. One family in the thick of it says a heat pump has become their unlikely lifeline. "If it is 35 outside I can get the temperature down to 21," says Andrew Ingram whose sanctuary relies on the technology that many owners now call a revelation in this heatwave. In Asian markets the Hang Seng is trading near 25,404 after a gain of 0.2% while Europe's DAX is trading near 26,391 with no change. Oil has edged higher to $83.80 a barrel gold hit $4,456 an ounce Bitcoin is down 0.3% at $63,569 and Ethereum the biggest mover is off 0.3% at $1,884.

Condor Studio News · 2:00 AM Central · Aug 12, 2026.