Global Indices & Fear & Greed Index

The U.S. Conference Board Leading Index rose 0.2% in July, exceeding expectations of 0.1% and rebounding from a decline of 0.2% in June.

The Conference Board Lagging Index posted a monthly gain of 0.2% in July, up from 0% in the prior month.

At market open today, the Nasdaq Biotech Index fell 1.7%, with Moderna sliding 14.84%, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals down 12.01%, and Sionna Therapeutics down 8.39%. Biotech firm Tempus AI rose 8.83%, while Aurinia Pharmaceuticals gained 9.28% and Maravai Lifesciences

The U.S. Conference Board Leading Economic Index for July is set to be released in 10 minutes.

Major U.S. stock indexes opened lower on Thursday, August 20, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average declining 370.52 points, or 0.69%, to 53,092.53. The S&P 500 fell 25.40 points, or 0.33%, to 7,682.58, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 41.38 points, or 0.16%, to 26,331.09. Gains in the debt

In early trading on August 20, the North American tech software stock index ETF fell 0.56% to $102.22. The fund has remained roughly flat over the past four trading days.

The Federal Open Market Committee released minutes from its July 28-29 meeting, revealing growing concern among members about persistent inflation that remains elevated even after discounting transitory factors such as tariffs and Middle East conflict impacts. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh proposed

According to FOMC minutes from the July 28-29 meeting, Federal Reserve members expressed growing concern about persistent inflation, with some noting that price increases remained elevated even after excluding tariffs and energy-related factors. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh proposed reducing the number

According to BlockBeats, citing BIT market data, U.S. stocks opened lower on August 20, with the Dow Jones falling 0.6%, the S&P 500 declining 0.3%, and the Nasdaq dropping 0.5%. Walmart fell 7% after Q2 same-store sales growth hit a six-year low and full-year earnings guidance missed

The US national debt crossed $40 trillion for the first time, reaching the milestone five months after hitting $39 trillion and about 10 months after passing $38 trillion. The increase reflects persistent federal deficits, rising defense and social spending, and a growing interest bill as older debt

According to BlockBeats, Federal Reserve Governor Austan Daly stated on August 20 that artificial intelligence investment is unlikely to drive overall inflation higher.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing shipments index for August declined to 27.7 from a prior reading of 33.7, marking a decrease of 6.0 points.

The U.S. Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing index reached 47.4 in August, exceeding the forecast of 24.8 and rising from the previous reading of 41.4.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the U.S. manufacturing new orders index fell to 30.1 in August, down from a prior reading of 37, indicating a significant contraction in new order

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing prices paid index declined to 40.9 in August from 53.9 in July, marking a significant monthly drop of 13 points.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the manufacturing employment index surged to 27.9 in August from 10 in the previous month. The index tracks employment sentiment among manufacturing firms surveyed by the Philadelphia Fed.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing index for August came in at 47.4, falling short of the expected 25 and declining from the prior month's 41.4.

The U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending August 15 and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve manufacturing index are set to be released in approximately 10 minutes.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canada's small business confidence remained relatively resilient in August, with the monthly Business Barometer declining slightly to 57.6 from 58.6 in July. The reading stayed above the 50-point threshold, indicating overall optimism.

Iran has assessed possible strikes on U.S. military targets in Europe if President Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to people close to the regime cited by the Financial Times. Potential locations discussed include U.S.-linked military assets in Bulgaria and Cyprus. The reports arrive a