Pre-Market Report – Friday 14 August: US markets head higher - Oil down - SPI down 34 - QBE Results - Tech to shine.

The S&P 500 rose to a fresh all-time intraday high on Thursday as oil prices declined and traders digested more inflation data.The broad market index added 0.65% and surpassed 7,800 for the first time ever. The S&P 500 notched a closing record of 7,798.99. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.81% to end at 26,803.03, boosted by gains in Meta Platforms, Micron Technology and Netflix. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.13%, or 69.72 points, to 53,839.99.Brent crude futures shed more than 2% to close at $87.07 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures also slid more than 2% to settle at $81.25 per barrel. The moves come as traders weighed falling oil demand while the U.S.-Iran war continues.Wall Street got another look at U.S. inflation on Thursday, with the July reading of the U.S. producer price index — which gauges what wholesalers pay for raw goods and materials — coming in unchanged. Economists polled by Dow Jones had called for an increase of 0.2% on the month. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core PPI rose 0.2%, just below the gain of 0.3% economists expected.SPI down 37 – Oil and Gold fall – Tech to shine.Marcus Today – Daily Market Insights Marcus Today provides clear, practical commentary for self-directed investors – covering markets, portfolios, education, and decision-making without the noise. If you'd like to go further: Start a free 14-day trial of Marcus Today http://bit.ly/mt-trial-podcast Join Marcus Today Use code MTPODCAST for 10% off http://bit.ly/mt-join-podcast-offer MT20 – Managed ETF Portfolio A professionally managed portfolio run by Marcus Padley and the team, using ASX-listed ETFs with active market timing. http://bit.ly/mt20-podcast Principles – How We Think About Investing A short video series on timing, behaviour, and decision-making. No stock tips. http://bit.ly/mt-principles-podcast — Disclaimer This podcast is general information only and does not consider your personal circumstances. It is not personal financial advice.