Episode 2026-05-18

You're listening to 7 Horns AI — your AI-powered market update. It's Monday, May eighteenth, twenty twenty-six, and we're bringing you your pre-market briefing. Overnight, Asian markets showed continued softness following Friday's sell-off. The Japan proxy ETF, EWJ, dipped another one percent in its last session. However, the China proxy ETF, FXI, is showing signs of stabilization, up about one-tenth of a percent in thin pre-market trading, suggesting a modest recovery after Friday's almost three percent decline for that market. Developed international markets, as represented by EFA, also registered a modest pre-market gain of one-tenth of a percent after falling nearly one point seven percent on Friday. Here in the US, futures are pointing to a lower open this morning. S&P five hundred futures are currently down between four and seven-tenths of a percent compared to Friday's cash close. Nasdaq one hundred futures are also indicating a weaker start, lower by about half a percent to seven-tenths of a percent. Dow futures are pointing to a decline of between seven and nine-tenths of a percent. This broadly reflects continued anxiety over geopolitical developments and rising yields. European markets are currently open, though we don't have specific live directional data for them. The dominant macro story heading into the week continues to be escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. A drone strike near the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear plant has heightened