With U.S. markets closed Saturday, Iran, tariff litigation and AI-tool pricing lead the news

QQQ and SPY remained at Friday's carried closes while U.S. markets were closed. News centered on Iran-related security and negotiations, a tariff-refund appeal, an AUKUS undersea-drone initiative and GitHub Copilot's shift toward token-based billing.

Published Aug 9, 2026

QQQ: 0.00%
SPY: 0.00%
QQQ − SPY: 0.00%

What shaped the session

Iran security and negotiations

U.S. Central Command disabled a fifth vessel that defied the Hormuz blockade. Separately, the disposition of Iran's nuclear material remained a central issue after Trump sought changes to an agreement.

Tariff and security policy

The Trump administration appealed an order expanding tariff refunds to all U.S. importers. The U.S., U.K. and Australia also unveiled an AUKUS undersea-drone program for critical seabed infrastructure.

AI software pricing

Microsoft-owned GitHub Copilot is moving from subsidized pricing toward token-based billing, changing the cost structure for developers using the AI coding tool.

Key news

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←May 29:QQQ edges SPY as business data, Fed signals and Iran headlines shape a modest advance·View all May 2026 QQQ/SPY reviews·May 31:Sunday closure frames chip controls, Korean export strength and Fed independence→