Stock Market Update Monday August 18, 2025
- Aug 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Stock Market Update Monday August 18, 2025 Markets drifted through a subdued session, with both liquidity and realized volatility suppressed. Positioning remains cautious as traders hold fire with the S&P 500 hovering just shy of record highs and several potential catalysts due later this week.
On the day: SPX closed unchanged, QQQ flat, and IWM outperformed at +0.4%.
Away From Stocks: Treasurys faced mild selling pressure, with the 2-year and 30-year yields each rising 2 bps to 3.77% and 4.94%, respectively. In commodities, WTI crude pushed toward $63/barrel, while gold was steady at $3,334/oz. Digital assets softened as bitcoin slipped below $117,000. Volatility stayed muted with the VIX settling just under 15.
This Week’s Market Drivers: Jackson Hole & Geopolitical Developments
Markets enter the week recalibrating interest rate expectations after July’s Producer Price Index (PPI) came in hotter than forecast, rising 0.9% vs. 0.2% expected. Futures pricing now reflects slightly lower odds of a September rate cut, though consensus still leans toward easing at the September 16–17 FOMC meeting. All eyes will be on Chair Powell’s Friday remarks, which will likely serve as a policy guidepost.
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