Canada Tariffs Paused, Fed Minutes, and Retail Earnings
By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent
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Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: Stocks fell Tuesday as rising Treasury yields and renewed Middle East tensions weighed on technology shares. The S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, the Nasdaq fell 1.3% and the Dow slipped 0.2%, while semiconductor stocks fell 5%.
The 30-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since 2007, while the 10-year briefly hit its highest since January 2025. Higher Treasury yields can translate into higher borrowing costs for consumers, particularly mortgage rates.
Today’s Focus: President Trump paused planned 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods for three days, posting on Truth Social that the U.S. and Canada had reached a preliminary deal. The tariffs had been scheduled to take effect Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve releases minutes from its July meeting at 2 p.m. ET. Officials voted 9-3 to hold rates at 3.5% to 3.75%, with three policymakers favoring a quarter-point increase. Investors will be looking for more detail on the debate over rates and what could drive a move in September.
Wednesday’s retail earnings told two stories: Target raised its annual sales forecast, while Lowe’s cut its comparable sales outlook. TJX reports later Wednesday and Walmart follows Thursday.
ON THE SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2026
-2 p.m. ET – Fed minutes from July meeting
-Earnings – Target, Lowe’s and TJX
-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. ET – Weekly jobless claims
-Thursday earnings – Walmart
-Friday, 9:45 a.m. ET – August S&P Global Flash PMIs
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