Technology Stocks Lift Equities, Mideast Peace Prospects Wane | The Opening Trade 8/17/2026
Technology stocks lifted global equities after stellar revenue growth at Anthropic PBC bolstered the view that massive spending on artificial intelligence will be sustained. Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah flared in Lebanon over the weekend, the latest setback in efforts to end parallel wars in the Middle East. Israel’s military said Sunday that it killed Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior Hezbollah commander, in southern Lebanon a day earlier. Eleven people died in the Israeli strikes…