Economy
Gold dropped below $4,500 an ounce Thursday morning while oil prices remained elevated above $100 a barrel, as markets absorbed the collapse of a U.S. ceasefire proposal to Iran and the continued military conflict in the Middle East. The Trump administration transmitted a 15-point ceasefire plan to......
The US dollar eased slightly in Asian trading Thursday. Investors parsed prospects for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes by year-end fell. The US dollar index, tracking the currency against six major peers, dropped 0.1 percent.......
Asian stock markets declined and oil prices rose on Thursday after Iran rejected a US-backed ceasefire proposal, dimming hopes for a swift resolution to the conflict now entering its fourth week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3 percent, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.9 percent. Hong......
The government of France is preparing to introduce targeted measures aimed at easing the impact of rising energy prices, according to Finance Minister Roland Lescure. The announcement is expected in the coming days as authorities respond to a surge in energy costs linked to ongoing tensions involving......
The energy shock triggered by the war in Iran is reshaping Asia’s energy outlook. Analysts say the disruption is accelerating the region’s shift toward renewable energy and electric vehicles, even as several countries increase coal use in the short term. Fighting has severely disrupted oil......
Nearly one month after US and Israeli strikes hit Iran on February 28, the effective Strait of Hormuz closure triggered Asia's worst energy crisis in decades. Regional governments rolled out fuel rationing, cut workweeks, and scrambled for alternative supplies. Asia depends on over 80% of the oil......
Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the US-Israeli war against Iran began late February. They surpassed $4 per gallon this week, per Airlines for America data. Airlines globally pass costs to travelers amid peak spring break and rising summer bookings. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby warned......
European markets surged Wednesday after reports of a US ceasefire proposal to Iran sparked hopes for de-escalation in the month-old Middle East conflict. The advance lifted travel and finance stocks while pushing oil below $100 a barrel. The STOXX 600 rose 1.3% to 586.73 points mid-morning in London,......
Freight rates for tankers carrying Saudi crude from Yanbu on the Red Sea to Asia collapsed this week. They fell from over $450,000 per day in early March to about $200,000 per day. A growing fleet converged on this Saudi export hub after the Strait of Hormuz closure disrupted global oil logistics. The......
Major blue-chip firms rushed to lock in funding during brief market lulls as the US-Iran conflict disrupts global bond markets and drives up borrowing costs. Danone led a wave of European bond issuances Wednesday with a three-tranche deal. It drew over 6.5 billion euros in orders for euro-denominated......
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that companies and workers could transmit rising energy costs stemming from the Iran conflict more rapidly than they did during the 2022 inflation surge, because the memory of that episode remains fresh. Speaking at the ECB and Its Watchers......
Bitcoin has emerged as an unexpected winner amid the turmoil triggered by the United States-Iran conflict, outperforming both gold and the S&P 500 since hostilities began on February 28, according to an analysis by River Financial, a Bitcoin-focused financial services platform. Data show Bitcoin......
Italy’s economy is expected to grow just 0.5% in 2026, the country’s main business association, Confindustria, said on Wednesday. This is a downgrade from its previous forecast of 0.7% in October, as the organization highlighted the potential risks if the Iran conflict continues. Last year,......
