United States

MSCI's global index of equities rose on Thursday, while the dollar fell and oil futures soared. This was due to renewed hope for peace in Middle East following the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump that he had canceled his planned strikes against Iran. After threatening to bomb more oil-exporting Kharg Island and saying he wanted to "take it", Trump announced that the talks had been "brought to the highest level Iranian leadership and approved." In a Truth Social post, Trump also stated that the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia had approved "discussions" and "final points." Oil prices dropped...

Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he wanted to seize Kharg Island, the?Iran oil infrastructure hub. Analysts believe the U.S. could seize the Island 'quickly', but that the move would put U.S. soldiers in danger and could prolong the war rather than shorten it. Where is Kharg Island and why is it important? Kharg Island is located in the northern Gulf about 400 km (483 miles) north of the Strait of Hormuz. It is located in water that is deep enough for tankers to dock, even if they are too big to reach the shallow waters of the Iranian coast....

What's important in U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets It's unnerving that the relapse of U.S. Tech stocks on Tuesday occurred as oil prices dropped sharply in the same session. This shows how stock market anxiety extends "well beyond" the energy story. The crude?prices on Wednesday were volatile after the U.S. and?Iran exchanged missile strikes overnight, the most alarming direct interaction between the two sides since the fragile ceasefire was established. Below, I will go into more detail. Check out my most recent column about why the stock exchange is becoming more...

Stock market gains are not the real economy but they offer more than just a warm fuzzy feeling for many families. Stock-based compensation for workers may be a factor that helps bind them'more closely' The U.S. economy has remained stable despite a turbulent post-pandemic period of high inflation, rising interest rates and political and trade uncertainty. Many theories have been put forward, ranging from robust corporate and household finances to tax "cuts" and a three-year old AI investment boom. One of the most popular is that the stock market's resilience has boosted the so-called "wealth effect" and kept the consumption...

Ankur Banerjee gives a look at what the markets will be like tomorrow in Europe and the world. Markets are nervous following the latest escalation of Middle East tensions, but investors have hope that the new 'U.S. The 'attacks on Iran after an Apache helicopter was 'downed near the Strait of Hormuz won't derail a peace deal that will end the war. It may be a wishful thought, as the U.S. army has said that it targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near this key waterway to respond to attacks against U.S. forces and commercial...

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Tuesday that oil stockpiles in?the largest economies of the world are heading toward their lowest levels since 2003, as inventories are being drawn down at an unprecedented pace due to lost production from the Iran War. The EIA estimates that total oil inventories within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development members will fall to just over 2.3 billion barrels in December. This is based on the current assumption that the marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz won't return to its pre-conflict level until early 2027. In its Short-Term Energy Outlook monthly...

Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, said that the ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is increasing "very?meaningfully", as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues. Wright replied, "I'd say that it has risen very significantly" when asked about the ship traffic through the Strait in comparison to a few weeks ago. Wright said this at an Atlantic Council conference, adding that it will take many months before energy flows return to normal once the war is over. Since the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, late in February, vessel movements have been largely blocked. This has disrupted around 20%...

Statistics Canada reported that the Iran War has increased the price of crude oil, which is a major factor in the increase in Canada's April goods trade surplus. Analysts surveyed by? Analysts polled by? Statscan reduced March's surplus to C$1.75 from C$1.78. The total exports rose 1.6% to a record C$75.16 Billion in April. Exports of energy goods increased 9.7% in April after a 23.4% increase in March. Statscan stated in a comment that "Both increases were primarily due to higher prices which continued to increase in April despite the uncertainty created by the conflict in Iran." Crude oil experts,...

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. These?stories have not been?verified' and we cannot?guarantee? their?accuracy. Israel and Iran traded missile strikes Monday, after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire in early April. This was their first direct attack since the truce went into effect. - Nvidia is ?teaming up with South Korea's SK Telecom and Naver ?to build gigawatt-scale artificial-intelligence cloud infrastructure in Asia. - Intesa Sanpaolo said ?it has launched a EUR30.66 billion ($35.33 ?billion) unsolicited cash-and-share ?takeover bid for Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Roche has announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement and...

Saudi Arabia cut its official'selling prices' (OSPs), for crude oil sold to 'Asia, in July, for a second consecutive month. This was expected, since spot premiums fell on a sluggish demand despite the supply disruptions caused by U.S. - Israeli war against Iran. A document reviewed on Monday by?showed that the July OSP was set at $9.50 per barrel over the average Dubai and Oman quote, which is $6 lower than the OSP in June. The July OSPs of other Saudi grades for Asia fell by $6 per barrel compared to the previous month. The price reduction was in line...

Oil prices rose by more than $2 per barrel on Monday, after Israel launched new strikes against Lebanon on Sunday despite an agreement between the two nations. This shattered hopes of a ceasefire and the restart of crude flow through the Strait of Hormuz. As of 0013 GMT U.S. crude oil futures were up by $2.10 or 2.32% at $92.64 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by $2.33 or 2.5% to $95.42 per barrel. This erased a majority of Friday's losses, when prices fell on the hope of a deescalation of the U.S. - Iran conflict. The latest strikes seemed...

Oil prices dropped on Friday, as traders grew more confident that a renewed conflict between the U.S.A. and Iran is less likely. Brent crude futures fell $2.08 or 2.18% to $92.95 per barrel at 11:37 CST . Brent closed the previous session 2.84% down. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was $89.93 per barrel, down $3.11 or 3.34% after a loss of 3.1% on Thursday. Phil Flynn is a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. He said that the market does not see an escalation of tensions between the parties. Even though we haven't reached a deal, the market seems to...

Investors covered their short positions on Thursday and gold prices rose, rebounding from the?a six-month low. However, concerns about higher inflation rates in the U.S. and rising interest rates have limited gains. Gold spot rose 0.6%, to $4.097.01 an ounce at 836 GMT. It had fallen earlier in the session to its lowest level since November 21, U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery were down 0.4% to $4,118. Ross Norman, an independent analyst, said that gold is "clearly" oversold right now. It remains to be determined whether or not this is a real recovery of the metal as such or...

Investors?bought? the metal at a bargain price on Thursday as they awaited a crucial U.S. Inflation Report that could influence Federal Reserve policy. Gold spot rose 0.7% by 0741 GMT to $4,103.74 an ounce, after having fallen as low as $4,022.09 per ounce on November 21, earlier in the day. U.S. gold futures for August were down 0.2% to $4,125.10. Matt Simpson, senior analyst at StoneX, said: "With prices hurtling toward $4,000, there's an obvious level of support which could encourage bears to make a quick profit, or tempt battered bulls off the sidelines." The U.S. Dollar Index failed to...

Elliott Investment Management, an activist investor, called on Australia's biggest gold miner Northern Star Resources late on Wednesday to restore shareholder value immediately by re-evaluating its board and conducting a formal strategic assessment. They cited severe underperformance. Elliott Investment Management, an activist investor, announced last week that it had acquired a stake of more than A$1 Billion ($700.80 M) in Northern Star Resources. The investor cited severe underperformance and repeated "operational mistakes", including seven missed outlooks over the past four years and a share value that was vastly below its peers. Elliott's call, which was instrumental in convincing BHP to...

Jim Anderson, the CEO of Coherent, a chipmaker backed by Nvidia in an earnings call early in May, warned about a shortage of Indium Phosphide. A U.S. delegation of businessmen accompanied President Donald Trump to China. Three sources with knowledge of the matter said that Anderson's trip was to highlight the delays in China's licensing for the export of the high-speed optical chip needed in the manufacturing of AI data centres. According to two U.S. officials and a person who was briefed about the talks, the issue was also raised during the Seoul talks between the top 'trade negotiators' of...

On Wednesday, gold?fell?to an 11-week low, as oil prices?rose?on renewed hostilities between Iran and the U.S., fueling concerns about inflation. Gold spot was down 1.7% to $4,191.84 an ounce at 0747 GMT after reaching its lowest level since 23 March. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell?1.6%, to $4,215.60. Ilya Spivak is the head of global macro at Tastylive. He said, "We are seeing a readjustment in what central banks will do globally, and that there has been a major shift towards hawkishness." After President Donald Trump claimed that Iran had?shot down a U.S. Apache helo in the Strait of?Hormuz,...

As the dollar and oil prices rose on Wednesday due to renewed hostilities between Iran and the U.S., gold fell to an 11-week low, fueling concerns over inflation and interest rates hikes. Gold spot was down 1.9% to $4,181.04 an ounce at 0414 GMT after reaching its lowest level since 23 March. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell 1.9% to $4204.70. Dollars rose, causing greenback-priced gold to be?more costly for holders of currencies other than the dollar. Oil prices rose 1%, fueling inflation fears and expectations that interest rates will remain high for a longer period. The Federal Reserve's...

Gold dropped?more? than 1% to a 11-week low on Wednesday, as the dollar and oil prices rose due to renewed hostilities by the United States with Iran. This fueled concerns over inflation and interest rates. Spot gold fell 1.8%, to $4,187.59 an ounce, by 0230 GMT. This is its lowest level since 23 March. U.S. Gold Futures for August delivery were down 1.7% to $4,213.40. Dollars rose, making bullion priced in greenbacks more expensive for holders?of other currencies. Oil prices increased by 1%, fueling inflation fears and cementing expectations that interest rates will?stay high for longer. The Federal Reserve's policy...

The mining firm Sinda filed for a U.S. IPO on Friday, marking billionaire Thomas Kaplan's'second attempt' to enter the public markets, following Sunshine Silver's listing a 'day earlier', as 'interest in IPOs' rebounded. The filing did not reveal the terms of?the?offering. The U.S. IPO Market exploded in 2026. A variety of sectors were eager to list and take advantage of the excitement among investors for new listings. Elon Musk’s SpaceX will?start trading in New York in what is expected to be the largest IPO ever. Anthropic, a leading AI company, also filed a confidential application to go public last week....

La Pryor, a quiet Texas cattle town, has become the center of the screwworm battle after the first U.S. instance in decades was discovered there. This prompted a?quarantine on livestock and put ranchers and pet-owners on edge. On Wednesday, a calf in a ranch was found to have?the meat-eating?parasite. It had a large hole around its umbilical chord. Since more than a decade, ranchers in South Texas are preparing for the arrival screwworm. The flies have moved from Colombia, through Central America and closer to the U.S. Border. The parasite can decimate local wildlife and cattle herds. U.S. Department of...

Five sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that 'Cargill' is in discussions to sell its metals division to Macquarie Group, as a global trading house wants to concentrate on its core operations of food and agriculture. The five sources all spoke under condition of anonymity as the sale had not yet been announced. They were also not authorized to speak to media. They didn't disclose any further details about the discussions, which may not result in a deal. Cargill did not respond to requests for comments via phone and email. Macquarie has declined to comment. Cargill's metals unit in...

A recent Indian official investigation of gold company Rajesh exports has alleged the company overstated the revenue of its Swiss refinery unit Valcambi by $159 billion. This is a figure that's never been seen in any of the country's previous accounting investigations. The extent of alleged misreporting released by the'markets regulator' on Wednesday has raised questions about how investors and analysts could have missed it, especially since India's state run insurance giant LIC owned 11% of the firm. Rajesh Exports denies any wrongdoing. In a Friday exchange statement, Rajesh Exports said that "the main point misinterpreted in regard to revenues...

The copper price was set to rise despite the drop on Friday, as tighter supplies and a bullish mood helped counteract wider macroeconomic concerns linked to 'the Iran War' and 'inflation. Benchmark -three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange fell 1.34%, to $13,745 per metric ton as of 0700 GMT. The week-over-week increase was 0.7%. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most active copper contract fell by 0.46%, to 105150 yuan (15,521.90 dollars) per tonne. Daniel Hynes is a senior commodity analyst at ANZ. He said that copper has been resilient to macroeconomic headwinds. "Structurally driven demand offsets cyclical 'weakness,'" he wrote...