Wall Street Awaits CPI Fed Pause Pushes Stocks to Records
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Wall Street Awaits CPI Catalyst After Dovish Fed Pause Pushes Stocks to Records    

Published: 12 August 2026,09:18

Published: 12 August 2026,09:18

Daily Market Analysis New

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Key Takeaways:

*The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq posted strong gains last week on softer U.S. labour data, but momentum has slowed as investors await today’s CPI report.  

*Following a weak Nonfarm Payrolls report, markets are increasingly pricing in a steady Fed policy stance. A softer-than-expected CPI reading could further support rate-cut expectations, lower yields, and boost equities. 

*Ongoing tensions in the Middle East and elevated oil prices continue to pose inflation risks, potentially limiting upside even if inflation data comes in benign. 

Market Summary:

Wall Street’s major indices revived strongly over the past week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite posting solid gains that pushed several benchmarks toward or into record territory. The advance was supported by softer U.S. labour market data, which reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve tightening and encouraged a more dovish interpretation of the policy outlook. However, momentum has appeared to stall in the current week as investors adopt a more cautious stance while awaiting today’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) release for clearer direction.

The recent Nonfarm Payrolls report, which showed a contraction in jobs, has already shifted market pricing toward a greater likelihood that the Fed will maintain a steady policy stance rather than pursue additional rate hikes in the near term. A softer-than-expected CPI reading would further reinforce this dovish speculation by signalling that inflationary pressures remain contained. Such an outcome could provide fresh justification for lower yields and renewed risk appetite, potentially re-energising the upward momentum across equities and allowing the major indices to extend their recent advances.

At the same time, developments in the Middle East geopolitical crisis continue to serve as a potential tempering factor. Ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and related energy supply risks has contributed to firmness in oil prices, which in turn raises concerns about possible second-round inflationary effects. Any escalation or prolonged stalemate could weigh on risk-on sentiment and limit the upside for stocks, even in the event of benign domestic inflation data. Overall, today’s CPI report stands as the immediate catalyst that could either reignite the bullish trend or introduce greater caution, with external geopolitical risks remaining an important overlay for market direction.

Technical Analysis 

Dow Jones, H4 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to trade within a well-established long-term uptrend, with the index recently advancing into uncharted territory and setting fresh record highs. The sustained strength in price action reflects strong underlying bullish sentiment and reinforces the positive long-term outlook for the index.

Despite the prevailing uptrend, the Dow appears to be entering an Elliott Wave corrective phase, suggesting that a period of short-term consolidation or a minor technical retracement may occur following its recent surge. Such a pullback would be considered a normal development within a broader bullish trend and could help alleviate overextended market conditions.

The key level to monitor on the downside is the immediate support zone at 53,290. This area is expected to serve as an important test of the market’s underlying strength. As long as the index remains supported above this level, the broader bullish structure is likely to remain intact.

A successful defense of the 53,290 support level would indicate that buyers continue to dominate the market and that the recent pullback is merely corrective in nature. In this scenario, the Dow would be expected to remain within its established uptrend trajectory and retain the potential to extend its advance to new record highs.

Resistance Levels: 54,670.00, 55,280.00

Support Levels: 53,290.00, 52.522.35

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