US stocks surged on Wednesday after a surprise two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran eased geopolitical tensions and sent oil prices sharply lower, boosting risk appetite across global markets. The announcement, made just hours before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a broad “risk-on”
Microsoft stock has crashed into a technical bear market after plunging from $550 to the current $372. This retreat has coincided with the ongoing sell-off in software stocks and as concerns about its massive capital expenditure continues. So, will the stock rebound now that it has become a bargain? Microsoft stock has plunged amid AI
Shares of Delta Air Lines surged sharply in early Wednesday trading, lifted by stronger-than-expected earnings and optimism following a two-week cease-fire agreement between the US and Iran that sent oil prices tumbling. The stock jumped more than 11% after the market opened, putting it on track for one of its strongest single-day gains in over
Emerging and developing economies in Europe and Central Asia will experience slower growth in 2026 due to the effects of higher energy prices brought on by the ongoing conflict in Iran, said a World Bank report released on Wednesday. This surge has increased operating costs for businesses and raised fuel expenses for consumers. Although Tehran
Oil prices tumbled below $100 per barrel on Wednesday after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, which is also likely to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Both Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil benchmarks fell more than 17%, following the announcement. Meanwhile, gold prices on COMEX climbed to a near three-week
Wall Street’s main indexes opened lower on Tuesday as investors assessed escalating tensions between the United States and Iran ahead of President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 214 points, or 0.46%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.42% and the Nasdaq 100
Faced with the twin challenges of rising inflation and slowing growth driven by the oil price shock, the European Central Bank is under pressure to act, with Commerzbank AG anticipating the ECB to prioritise long-term inflation expectations and consider an interest rate hike as early as its next meeting at the end of April. While
The cryptocurrency market has been bearish over the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin and Ether currently in the red. Bitcoin hit the $70,000 mark on Monday but is now down 1.4% and is trading around $68,400. Ether also risks dropping below $2,000 if the selloff persists. However, ZEC, the native coin of the Zcash ecosystem,
Novo Nordisk announced on Tuesday that it is making a higher-dose version of its popular weight-loss medication, Wegovy, available across the United States. The new 7.2-milligram dose, branded as Wegovy HD, was recently approved under the FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Review Voucher program last month, marking a significant development in obesity treatment options. Before this
The American labour market has long been a complex machine of shifting gears, but in the current economic landscape, one cylinder is firing with more reliability than all others combined. While technology and manufacturing navigate the choppy waters of replacement by AI and perils brought on by tariffs, the healthcare sector has emerged as a