Aug 2, 2026 – 12.00pmInvestors expect the escalating Middle East conflict to cast a pall over what will already be a highly volatile ASX reporting season, which kicks off this week, with the threat of inflation contributing to an aggressive rate-hiking cycle and hurting consumer sentiment.The Australian sharemarket is poised to open lower on Monday despite a strong finish to the week for Wall Street, as the S&P 500 gained nearly 1 per cent on Friday.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles