Aug 16, 2026 · QQQ/SPY Market Review · 23 headlines
U.S. markets were closed, so QQQ and SPY did not trade and neither led. Strait of Hormuz traffic fell sharply and Iran tied reopening to U.S. commitments, while July U.S. retail sales fell 0.6% and CME FedWatch put the chance of no September rate change at 66.9%. TrendForce's liquid-cooling outlook and TSMC's Arizona expansion added AI-infrastructure context.
Published
Kpler reported that only five commodity carriers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and none on Sunday, compared with 31 the prior weekend. An Iranian official separately said reopening depended on U.S. commitments under the Islamabad memorandum.
July U.S. retail sales fell 0.6% as spending missed expectations. CME FedWatch put the probability of no September rate change at 66.9%, linking the demand update with the prevailing rate outlook.
TrendForce projected liquid-cooling penetration in AI chips at 53% in 2026 as server power requirements rise. A separate report said TSMC's Arizona expansion was accelerating alongside advanced-chip demand.
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