US stock opened lower on Wednesday after hotter-than-expected inflation data and rising oil prices dampened investor sentiment ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision. Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 169 points, or 0.36%, while S&P 500 fell 0.31% and Nasdaq 100 declined roughly 0.26%. The cautious tone followed a stronger-than-expected reading on wholesale inflation,
US wholesale inflation accelerated to its highest level in a year in February, adding to concerns that price pressures remained high even before the Iran war began. Data released by the US Labor Department on Wednesday showed the producer-price index (PPI) rose 0.7% month-on-month, up from 0.5% in January and well above economists’ expectations of
Shares of Starbucks came under pressure after RBC Capital Markets downgraded the coffee giant, citing rising labor costs, elevated investor expectations, and uncertainty around margin improvement. The brokerage cut its rating to “Sector Perform” from “Outperform” while maintaining a price target of $105, implying modest upside from current levels. Starbucks shares fell 0.9% to $96.69
Recent geopolitical tensions have triggered sharp moves across global markets, with oil prices rising, the dollar strengthening, and equities facing pressure. In contrast, Bitcoin has shown relative resilience, prompting fresh debate over its role during periods of macro uncertainty. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency is trading at around the $74,000 mark. While correlations
Airline stocks climbed on Tuesday after major US carriers signalled that robust travel demand is helping cushion the impact of soaring fuel costs triggered by the escalating Middle East conflict, offering relief to a sector battered in recent weeks. Delta said the conflict in the Middle East has not dented travel demand so far, with
US stocks edged higher on Tuesday as investors looked to extend the previous session’s gains, while closely monitoring developments in the escalating Iran conflict and its impact on global energy markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 gained 0.6%. Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 398 points, or 0.85%. The cautious optimism follows a strong rebound
Ripple is stepping up its presence in Brazil as it broadens its digital asset services and prepares to enter the country’s formal crypto regulatory system. The payments-focused blockchain firm said Tuesday it is rolling out an expanded suite of offerings designed for banks and fintechs, while also planning to apply for a Virtual Asset Service
Even as the Indian government reassures citizens that the supply of domestic cooking gas remains uninterrupted, uncertainty prevails. Experts believe shortages of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will likely remain. “Shortages will likely persist for as long as the kinetic conflict remains active,” Igor Isaev, doctor of technical sciences, head of analytics center at Mind Money,
The United States is allowing Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz even as tensions escalate in the Persian Gulf following attacks on commercial vessels. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the approach in an interview with CNBC on Monday, explaining that Washington has permitted Iranian ships to leave the Gulf to help
Gold prices continued their slide on Monday with the yellow metal briefly falling below $5,000 per ounce due to reduced rate cut bets from the US Federal Reserve. Silver prices on COMEX also fell below $80 per ounce on Monday as concerns about rising inflation due to high crude oil prices weighed on sentiments. The