The Home Depot

Target earnings, Canada tariffs, American Airlines screens

CNBC’s Morning Squawk highlights market-moving items on Aug. 19, 2026: Moderna shares jumped as much as 100% after a personalized cancer vaccine developed with Merck showed positive late-stage results. Global bond yields have spiked, pressuring stocks and mortgage rates ahead of Fed minutes and the Jackson Hole conference. Retailers saw tariff refunds boost earnings: Target said refunds added $752 million to Q2 net earnings and raised its full-year outlook; Lowe’s credited an 11-cent EPS lift but gave a tepid outlook and missed revenue expectations. President Trump paused planned 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods for three days pending final documents. American Airlines announced plans to add seatback screens to most narrow-body aircraft starting in 2028. Auto dealers are emphasizing parts and services as new-vehicle sales soften.

Lowe's trims outlook as DIY spending remains pressured

Lowe’s on Aug. 19, 2026 cut its full-year outlook, saying results are likely to come in at the lower end of prior guidance as discretionary DIY spending remains weak. The retailer now expects total sales of $92 billion (previous range $92–$94 billion), flat comparable sales and an operating margin of 11.2%. Lowe’s reported Q2 sales of nearly $26 billion, up 8.3% year-over-year, with comps up 0.2% driven by strength in Pro, home services and a roughly 16% increase in online sales. Management emphasized investments in the Pro business (including loyalty upgrades, digital tools and recent acquisitions) while noting smaller projects rose modestly and big-ticket project spending declined.

DiVine, Vine Successor, Won't Rule Out Ads

DiVine, a new app inspired by Vine and led by Evan Henshaw-Plath, launched August 2026 and offers six-second looping videos plus a “classic” tab hosting more than two million restored original Vine clips. The app is funded by Jack Dorsey (who reportedly holds no equity) and is built on the decentralized Nostr protocol. DiVine requires users to record clips in-app or provide a C2PA provenance check; content that appears AI-made is blocked. The company is evaluating revenue options including paid services and advertising; CMO Alice Chan said the team is "not closed to ads" but wants brand content native to DiVine. Early brand activity includes a Taco Bell throwback campaign that is promoting the app ahead of public launch. Industry observers flagged questions about policing AI content and long-term sustainability without ad revenue.