The Open Bell — Ep. 044 — 21 Aug 2026

Today on The Open Bell: Walmart just posted its weakest US sales growth in six years, low-income shoppers are pulling back hard under the weight of fuel costs, and the company's own leadership won't promise the next quarter looks any better. The UAE has cut all financial ties with Iran following ballistic missile strikes on its territory, and Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, is now sitting at $93 a barrel, which is 37% higher than it was this time last year and heading in the wrong direction for anyone who drives, flies, or heats their home. The US Treasury tried to calm its own bond market by announcing bigger buybacks of long-dated government debt, the bond market thought about it for a few hours, and then pushed the 30-year yield straight back up to 5.25%, which tells you something about how much confidence investors actually have in Washington's ability to manage its borrowing costs right now. If today's episode helped you make sense of a genuinely ugly week, a five-star rating takes about ten seconds and it helps more people find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:15 Walmart shares tumble 9% on slowest US sales growth in six y 03:04 Brent crude climbs to $93 as UAE sanctions Iran after missil 05:04 30-yr US Treasury yield surges to 5.25% as buyback relief fa 06:58 Closing thoughtsSupport the show