World News Summary, August 17, 2026: Oil Surges, US Economy Slows

GeopoliticsCommodity Impact 4
โดย สำนักข่าวอีไฟแนนซ์ไทย·US·Read original
Summary · why it matters

E-Finance Thai News reports the world news summary for Monday, August 17, 2026. West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery settled at $82.40 per barrel, up $1.15, or 1.42 percent, while North Sea Brent crude for October delivery settled at $88.52 per barrel, up $1.45, or 1.67 percent, driven by attacks on oil tankers and a stalled US-Iran peace agreement. Meanwhile, US retail sales for July contracted 0.6 percent, the first decline in nine months, prompting economists to sharply lower their estimates for US economic growth in the third quarter. Oil producers in the Middle East continue to move massive volumes of crude out of the Persian Gulf, helping to keep prices from spiking and preventing inflation from accelerating due to energy costs. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain at full capacity, exceeding 4 million barrels per day. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, acknowledged that sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln are facing mental health challenges after reports that one crew member jumped overboard. President Donald Trump has ordered the Defense Department to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing South Korea's refusal to join the United States in disarming Iran's nuclear program. CNN reports, citing inside sources, that Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, held private talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt to push a ceasefire plan for Gaza, which Israel rejected. The Israeli military said on Sunday that it killed Abu Hassan Ala, a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, in an Israeli strike that killed 11 people in total, making it the deadliest attack since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in June. India has received more than $50 billion from citizens living abroad since June, prompting the Reserve Bank of India to close a special program to attract foreign currency deposits one month ahead of schedule. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is preparing to announce major economic pressure measures against Iran soon, including moving forward with a blockade of Iranian ports. China's State Taxation Administration is training local tax officials to build a common understanding of the technical details of taxing offshore trusts. German companies cut their investment in the United States to the lowest level in three years in the first half of 2026, with direct investment in the US plunging by nearly two-thirds compared with the same period a year earlier to 4.3 billion euros, or about $5 billion, the lowest since 2023. Berkshire increased its stake in Alphabet by $17 billion in the second quarter, making Alphabet the third-largest holding in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. Berkshire holds nearly 106 million Alphabet shares across Class A and Class C, worth about $36.6 billion, ahead of Coca-Cola at $35.1 billion but behind Apple at $69.7 billion and American Express at $51.9 billion, the two largest holdings in Berkshire's portfolio. Anthropic PBC, the developer of the Claude chatbot, said second-quarter revenue surged 14-fold from a year earlier, reporting preliminary revenue of more than $11.5 billion, compared with $787 million in the same period of 2025 and $4.73 billion in the first quarter of this year. The company also reported positive adjusted operating income in the second quarter, a key sign of its profitability.

Impact on stocks 6

Artificial Intelligence▲ · 2 stocks
Consumer Staples▲ · 2 stocks
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