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On Friday, global equity markets fell and Treasury yields increased as the markets neared the end of a turbulent period marked by the efforts of central banks around the globe to curb inflation. Wall Street's three main indexes fell, with real estate, materials and utilities stocks leading the declines. The Dow and S&P 500 were both on course to lose money for the week, but the Nasdaq would post a gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.4%. The S&P 500 declined 0.2%. And the Nasdaq Composite decreased 0.1%. Stocks in Europe dropped 1.1%, and they were heading for a...

Investors digested the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike in 3 years as they awoke on Thursday. The central bank raised the benchmark rate a quarter-point to 3.75%-4.00%, and indicated that more tightening was to come. While shorter-dated Treasury yields increased, longer-dated Treasury yields dipped a little, suggesting that investors are growing more confident in Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s ability to "do whatever is necessary" to bring inflation down to the 2% target. The rate increase was in line with "market" expectations, but the message was a little more hawkish that many expected. Warsh was responsible for the unanimous decision to...

Global stocks rose?on Wednesday, as recent increases in government bond yields?and oil prices stalled in advance of an important U.S. Federal Reserve?interest-rate decision later that day. MSCI's global equity index gained 0.2%, after having fallen in the two previous sessions. A?index? of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.6% to end a four-day loss streak. The majority of European bourses were trading higher. The pan-European STOXX 600 gained 0.6%, and benchmarks in Germany, France, and Spain also saw gains. Futures that track the major U.S. stock indices also point to a higher opening after the benchmark S&P 500 closed lower on...

The Federal Reserve's decision on policy will be the main event of the week. The markets are overwhelmingly expecting a quarter point rate hike by the Federal Reserve, its first since 2023. This is due to the resurgence of oil prices and the recent breaching of the important 5% Treasury yield mark. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh could find himself in a collision course with the White House if he increases rates, given Donald Trump's preference for an easing of policy. Warsh could lose credibility if he does not act, given the economic data that supports a rate hike. Warsh will...

The global stock market rose on Wednesday, as the recent rise in oil and government bond yields paused before a crucial U.S. Federal Reserve rate decision later that day. MSCI's global equity index rose 0.1% after falling in the two previous sessions. A four-day losing streak was broken by an index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan, which rose 0.6%. The STOXX Europe 600 index, which is the pan-European benchmark, opened 0.3% higher. Futures that track the U.S. S&P 500 index also rose, after the benchmark index had closed lower for the second consecutive session on Tuesday. The yield on the...

Asian shares struggled on Tuesday, as investors considered Middle East tensions. Industry figures also called for a halt in AI development. Meanwhile, higher oil prices and bond yields heightened caution ahead of 'key' central bank meetings taking place in the U.S. Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, launched a new offensive on Saudi Arabia Monday. Riyadh had blamed Iran-backed fighters based in Iraq for an assault on the east-west oil pipeline of the kingdom that could disrupt up to 4% global supply. Gulf Arab states have also delayed planned talks with Iran. Brent crude was up by 1.21% at...

Bank for International Settlements, the global central bank umbrella group, stated on Monday that the AI-linked rally which has seen world stocks soar over the past two years, is becoming more vulnerable. BIS reported that investors were becoming "increasingly conservative" when it came to the future profitability of AI investments. This was especially true as leverage at major U.S. technology firms continues to increase. Frank Smets is the BIS head of economics analysis. He told reporters that the AI momentum which propelled equity markets last year and contributed to global resilience has started to show signs of vulnerability. Comments were...

The markets now expect that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates on Wednesday as another surge in crude oil prices begins the week following more attacks and disruptions in the Middle East. The inflation report last week did not provide much comfort to the central bank's increasingly hawkish stance that its 2% inflation target would be reached any time soon. Energy prices are on the rise, but pressures on prices in other sectors and services are also a concern. The question for markets is not whether the Fed will increase rates this week but how much it will tighten...

On Monday, the Asian share markets fell as supply concerns caused oil to spike again. Investors braced themselves for interest rate hikes this week in both Japan and the United States. Brent oil prices rose 3% after new attacks on Saudi Arabia, and on ships in the Gulf. This came as nerves were tested following an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil pipelines and the Houthis' advance into Yemen. The meeting between Iran and Gulf Arab States, which was scheduled to take place in Oman on Monday, for the purpose of discussing a deal about opening the Strait of Hormuz has...

Open Interest (ROI), every Friday, distills the financial week into five key charts that highlight the major trends and surprises, as well as the overlooked moves, that have characterized the last five days. 1. TRIPLE DIGIT COMEBACK RON BOUSSO is a columnist for ROI Energy. Benchmark Brent crude has risen 'above $100 a bar this week, after 'fresh titt-for-tat attack in the Middle East.?Including?the largest wave of strikes against oil tankers since the Iran War began more than six months back. This raises the multi-billion dollar question: How much oil is leaving the Strait of Hormuz actually? The market is...

On Friday, global bond yields reached new highs while sharemarkets fell. Soaring oil prices exacerbated inflation risk and investors were scrambling to factor in further policy 'tightening' from central banks around the world. Brent crude futures hit a four-month record of $109.97 per barrel on Friday. Oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz was restricted as Iran and the U.S. traded blows, while the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, took control of Yemen's Mocha port, threatening Saudi Arabian oil exports to the Red Sea. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said that the Houthi advance has gravely threatened maritime traffic...

Brent crude prices soared above $100 per barrel on Wednesday as the escalating conflict engulfing the Middle East fueled fears of energy-driven inflation and sent global stock markets tumbling in advance of a number major central bank decisions. Brent crude futures rose by as much as 3%, reaching a session-high of $100.95. This was the first time the price has surpassed the symbolic level since July 24. After Iran claimed it had fired ballistic missiles on a U.S. military base in Jordan, and both sides claimed they had attacked vessels, oil supply concerns from the region were raised. The latest...

Iceland's only active whaling firm?believed it could survive another?push for a ban, given previous?attempts at outlawing whale?hunting have repeatedly failed. Last week, the?government?said it would introduce a bill that could permanently end whaling in February. This would be a move to put an end to an industry that is still allowed in only three countries: Japan, Norway, and Australia. Loftsson said on Monday that "in the past decades, there have been a few attempts to ban whaling in parliament, but they all failed." "I believe that whaling is well supported in Iceland." Iceland's parliament received a similar bill in October...

Iceland's Government will present a bill?on whaling in February that could ban it. This move?would leave Norway and Japan the only countries in the World to continue commercial whaling. Animal welfare activists and Hollywood celebrities have been protesting against Icelandic whaling for years. The government, which holds a majority in parliament, announced on its website that it is examining possible options for updating its whaling laws, paying particular attention to the option of an outright ban. According to Humane World for Animals (an animal welfare group which tracks the catches), 80 fin whales have been caught in this year's hunt...

Data from Indonesia's Health Ministry showed that respiratory infections due to hazardous?wildfire air pollution have doubled in a little over a week. The Indonesian archipelago has been hit by fires that have ravaged vast stretches of peatland and forest. This has caused hazardous emissions, especially in the provinces of Sumatra, and Borneo. The wildfire season this year is the worst in 11 years, as "super El Nino" weather conditions cause temperatures to rise and droughts to be punishing. The country is responsible for one-third of global fire emissions. According to statistics presented at a press briefing by Widyawati, spokesperson for...

Data from the Indonesian health ministry on Thursday showed that respiratory infections due to hazardous wildfire smoke pollution have doubled in just over a fortnight. The Indonesian archipelago has seen fires rage across vast tracts of forest and peatland, which have caused hazardous emissions to "surge", notably in the provinces most affected on the islands Sumatra, and Borneo. The wildfire season this year is the worst in 11 years, as "super El Nino" weather conditions cause temperatures to rise and droughts to be punishing. The country's fire emissions now make up a third the total global. According to statistics presented...

An official with Nepal's Disaster?Management Authority confirmed that Nepal monitors two lakes a few miles upstream from the flood zone, where hundreds of people died on Wednesday. The official said that flood risks would continue until both lakes are completely drained. One of the lakes started overflowing Friday. Satellite images showed two lakes near the site of a glacier slide that pushed debris, rock, ice and mud into rivers on Wednesday. This caused flood waves which destroyed houses and destroyed bridges. A Chinese rescue team captured aerial footage of the formation of 'one of the two Lakes on Thursday. On...

As a result of the devastating flash flood that left hundreds dead and more than 1,000 people missing, countries and organizations around the world have started sending cash and relief supplies to 'Nepal. This is the list of all aid and assistance that has been announced and provided so far. China: China coordinated emergency supplies to Nepal and provided cash assistance, China's ambassador to Nepal stated in a social media post. India has dispatched nearly 50 metric tonnes of disaster relief supplies in two tranches. These include temporary shelters and blankets as well as hygiene kits, medicines and lamps. SOUTH...

On Tuesday, widespread floods caused by Typhoon Narra intensified in?southern China. Homes and shops were flooded and thousands of people had to be relocated. Chongzuo authorities, located in China's Guangxi province, known for its giant limestone mountains and waterfalls, evacuated over 15,000 people when water levels exceeded a 2008 record. China has relocated 54,000 people from Guangxi due to rising floodwaters, according to state television. Narra, the tropical storm that landed Tuesday evening in China's southern province of Hainan, after spending several days lingering above the Beibu Gulf (also known as the Gulf of Tonkin) located on the northwestern part...

Each day, hundreds of Mexican hotel employees, tractor operators, and Navy personnel with specialized training head out to the beach at dawn to remove massive amounts of rotting seaweed from Caribbean beaches near popular tourist resorts. Hotels in the Caribbean have slashed rates and invested millions of dollars to remove the foul-smelling algal blooms from their beaches. Governments and businesses are also looking for solutions. How it all began Sargassum, a brown seaweed which forms floating'mats' on the ocean surface, was previously confined to the 'Sargasso Sea in?the North Atlantic. However, unusually strong winds in 2010 blew sargassum out into...

Want some inspiration? Weekend Reads is a weekly roundup of what Open Interest's?team read, watched and listened to. The latest selections include a look at aging Venezuelan refineries and gold flows, as well as the son of Iran’s former 'Shah. This weekend we read... RON BOUSSO. ROI Energy Columnist. I really enjoyed this article on Venezuela's rundown and old refining industry. Venezuela's once-famous refineries have been rusted and damaged over the years by neglect and a recent earthquake. MIKE DOLAN is a ROI Finance & Markets 'Columnist. Take a look at this latest Bank for International Settlements Bulletin to see...

Fitch, the ratings agency, has warned that a global credit risk is emerging from the AI boom, and it's a risk of a possible correction. This comes as a result of growing concerns about the fact that tech?values and AI spending are soaring ahead of uncertain future returns. Fitch's Global Risk Outlook for the third quarter of 2018 focuses on two main short-term credit risks: the growing vulnerability to a market correction related to AI and the continued uncertainty associated with the U.S./Iran conflict. The ratings agency reiterated warnings by global watchdogs, that the AI boom is increasingly intertwined in...

Some of the world's largest carmakers won the first stage of a mammoth court battle on Friday over whether their diesel vehicles had "defeat mechanisms" that limited emission control systems. In a summary of her decision, Judge Sara Cockerill stated that she "rejected the majority?of the main allegations advanced against the manufacturers?whose vehicles?were examined at trial". The decision was made after a trial that?focused on?20 sample vehicles produced by five manufacturers: Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan and Renault, as well as the Stellantis-owned Peugeot and Citroen. Cockerill said that in her summary, she made some negative findings. She stated that the "split...

Jannik Sinner, who has been battling in the heat at the previous two Grand Slams, said that he is well-prepared to deal with it when temperatures are expected to soar in Wimbledon this week. The second week of the tournament will see temperatures rise again above 30 degrees Celsius. This is after a heatwave that broke British records in June with temperatures around 37 degrees Celsius. Sinner is from the Alpine region in northern Italy of South Tyrol. He struggled to stay physically fit during the heatwave in Paris in May, and fell in the second round?of the French Open....