In a seismic shift for the global oil market, the United Arab Emirates has confirmed its exit from OPEC and OPEC+, effective May 1. The move, announced Tuesday by the country’s state news agency WAM, ends nearly six decades of membership and removes the cartel’s third-largest producer, marking one of the most consequential departures in
Standard Chartered said on Tuesday it has launched a new framework allowing institutional clients to use BlackRock’s tokenised short-term US Treasury fund as collateral on the crypto trading platform OKX. The lender has partnered with BlackRock and OKX to enable VIP and institutional clients on OKX Middle East to use the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital
Semiconductor stocks declined sharply on Tuesday, with Nvidia and its peers coming under pressure after fresh concerns emerged about the financial trajectory of OpenAI. Nvidia shares fell about 1.5% in trading, reversing some of the previous session’s gains when the stock closed at a record high after rising 4%. The chipmaker had recently broken out
US President Donald Trump is dispatching envoys to Pakistan in a renewed push for talks with Iran, even as uncertainty persists over diplomatic progress. Google is deepening its artificial intelligence push with a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, underscoring the intensifying race for computing infrastructure. Intel shares surged after stronger-than-expected earnings signaled improving momentum in its
US equities ended the week on a mixed note, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closing at record highs on Friday, supported by optimism around potential US-Iran talks and a surge in semiconductor stocks led by Intel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, lagged behind, ending the session slightly lower. The S&P 500 rose
The Indian rupee’s valuation against major global currencies has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, weighed down by rising crude oil prices and persistent foreign outflows. Data from the Reserve Bank of India’s latest bulletin showed that the rupee’s 40-currency real effective exchange rate (REER) fell to 92.72. The REER adjusts
The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming April 28–29 meeting, as policymakers weigh the economic fallout from a surge in energy prices against signs of resilience in the labour market. The decision comes at a time when financial markets are recalibrating expectations for rate cuts, while Fed
Meta Platforms and Microsoft will give Wall Street its most important AI test of the quarter on Wednesday, April 29, when both companies report after the bell. Meta’s Q1 2026 earnings call is set for 2:30 p.m. PT, while Microsoft has said it will publish fiscal Q3 2026 results after the close of the same
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed dramatically, with only five vessels, including a single Iranian oil products tanker, passing through in the last 24 hours, according to Friday’s shipping data. The sharp decrease follows Iran’s seizure of two container ships this week and an ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports, escalating maritime
The European Union has partnered with financial institutions to launch the Global Green Bond Initiative Fund, aiming to mobilise up to €20 billion ($23.43 billion) in private capital for sustainable infrastructure projects in low- and middle-income countries. The initiative reflects the EU’s broader push to expand climate-focused financing while supporting economic development in emerging markets.