Global cues are cautiously mixed this morning: Wall Street closed lower overnight and crude is pushing toward $90 on the US-Iran Hormuz standoff, but a sharp rally in Korean tech is steadying Asia — and almost everything hinges on tonight's US July CPI print (6:00 PM IST), which will shape Fed rate-cut odds and the mood for Indian equities.

US — prior close (Tue)

Wall Street ended in the red as traders squared up before the inflation report and oil crept higher on the Iran deadlock. Dow ~53,889 (-0.34%), S&P 500 ~7,735 (-0.32%), Nasdaq ~26,459 (-0.6%) — as reported by Business Standard and The Washington Post.

Asia — live now

• Kospi: surged, leading the region (up ~2%+) on strong tech earnings.
• Nikkei 225: roughly flat (~+0.1%), resuming after a holiday.
• Hang Seng: down ~1.1%.
• Shanghai: little changed.

Source: Business Standard, Bloomberg.

Europe — prior close

Near record highs: DAX ~26,357 (+0.13%), FTSE 100 ~10,864 (+0.01%), Euro Stoxx 50 ~6,552 (+0.25%). Source: Yahoo Finance.

India lead — GIFT Nifty

GIFT Nifty was quoted around 24,547 (up ~6 pts), pointing to a tepid, near-flat open for the Nifty50. Source: Business Standard.

Commodities, currency, yields

• Brent near $90 (front-month ~$89.6, +0.7%); WTI ~$83 — kept bid by the Strait of Hormuz deadlock.
• Gold ~$4,400/oz, a two-month high, up modestly.
• USD/INR ~95.13 (prev close 95.20) — rupee a touch softer.
• US 10Y yield ~4.23%, slightly lower.

Sources: Business Standard, Yahoo Finance, Investing.com, Trading Economics.

Global sentiment

Risk-cautious. Firm tech earnings (Kospi) are offset by near-$90 oil and pre-CPI nerves; the dollar and yields are steady as markets wait for the data.

Economic calendar today

• US July CPI — 6:00 PM IST (8:30 AM ET). Consensus: headline ~+0.2% m/m / ~3.4% y/y; core ~+0.2-0.3% m/m. Why it matters for India: a hot print pushes back September Fed-cut hopes, lifts the dollar and yields and pressures the rupee and FII flows; a cool print is risk-on for the Nifty.
• India CPI (July) — retail inflation is due mid-week (typically 4:00 PM IST); watch for the RBI's room on rates.
• India Q1 earnings deluge: Tata Motors, Hindustan Aeronautics, Grasim, Apollo Hospitals, IRCTC, GMR Airports and Petronet LNG report today.

Headlines & movers

• Oil / geopolitics: the US-Iran impasse over the Strait of Hormuz keeps crude near $90 — a headwind for India's import bill, rupee and inflation.
• Adani group stocks jumped up to 3% on US court relief for Gautam Adani.
• HDFC Bank hit a two-year low, down ~12% in a month.
• IPOs: Shiprocket opens for subscription; LEAP India and Technocraft Ventures list today.

What it means for the India open

Expect a flat-to-tepid start with a cautious bias: near-$90 oil and pre-CPI nerves cap upside, even as Asian tech strength lends some support. The real action will be stock-specific — Q1 results (Tata Motors, HAL) and the Adani relief — while the rupee near 95.1 and tonight's US CPI set the tone for the rest of the week.

As of 8:45 AM IST, Aug 12, 2026. Sources: Business Standard, The Washington Post, Yahoo Finance, Investing.com, Trading Economics. Automated pre-market brief for discussion and education only — not investment advice. Verify before acting.