Lending News Today — August 12, 2026

The global economy is facing new challenges as the International Energy Agency warns that a closure of the Hormuz Strait could have severe consequences, compounded by an intensification of oil demand destruction. This potential shock to the global economy comes at a time when technological advancements are rapidly changing the landscape. The increasing importance of artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities, as seen in CoreWeave's surging stock following its earnings report, but also new risks, such as the alarming hacking skills of AI agents, which are driving a rush to invest in cybersecurity.

The growing significance of AI is also leading to the creation of new asset classes, with the CME launching futures contracts for AI computing power. This development highlights the expanding role of AI in the economy, which is also being driven by companies like Elon Musk's Starlink, which has doubled its subscriber base. However, despite this growth, mainstream adoption of satellite internet services like Starlink remains a distant goal. Meanwhile, in a different field, former President Trump's suggestion that the MMR vaccine should be split has been met with skepticism from experts, who warn of potential consequences.

Today's signal:
• Hormuz closure squeezes global economy as oil demand destruction intensifies, IEA says (cnbc.com)
• AI agents' 'alarming' hacking skills creates rush to spend on cybersecurity (cnbc.com)
• CoreWeave’s stock soars as earnings show major AI momentum (marketwatch.com)
• AI computing power is becoming a tradable asset class as CME launches futures contracts (cnbc.com)
• Trump wants to split the MMR vaccine. Experts say that's unlikely — and comes with consequences (cnbc.com)
• Musk’s Starlink boasts of doubled subscriber base, but mainstream remains a far-off destination for the satellite internet service (marketwatch.com)