• US stocks closed Q1 2026 attempting a rebound from the year's deepest downturn, with S&P 500 marking a second straight down month.
• Geopolitics and soaring oil prices dominated sentiment, boosting energy as the sole positive sector while industrials weakened most.
• Spot crude rallied 55.2% in March, the second-largest monthly gain in 40 years, lifting energy stocks significantly.
Kuwait says fire broke out after Iranian attack on giant tanker and warns of possible oil spill in surrounding watersHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday while Donald Trump warned the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it did not open the strait of Hormuz.Blasts were heard in Tehran and power cuts hit some areas of the capital, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. Israel earlier carried out missile strikes on what it called military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut, leaving black smoke hanging over the Lebanese capital.Two successive Iranian missile launches targeted central Israel, the Times of Israel reported, quoting the emergency service as saying it had not received any reports of injuries.Turkey reported a ballistic missile launched from Iran had entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by Nato air and missile defences.Oil prices were headed on Tuesday for a record monthly rise while Asian shares were headed for their steepest fall since 2022, capping a tumultuous month as the war fanned fears of higher inflation and slower growth. Bonds were headed for their largest decline in months, while the dollar recorded its strongest gain in eight months.The US national average retail price of fuel crossed $4 a gallon for the first time in more than three years on Monday, data from price-tracking service GasBuddy showed, as tightening global supplies pushed US crude prices above $101 a barrel.Three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon.Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving in the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters. , as part of a reinforcement that would expand Trump’s options to include the deployment of forces inside Iranian territory, even as he pursues talks with Tehran.The White House later said talks with Iran were progressing and Trump wanted to reach a deal with Tehran before a 6 April deadline he set last week after extending an earlier deadline he had set for Iran to open the largely blocked strait of Hormuz oil route.Trump had told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the strait or Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal later reported.Iran said on Monday it had received US peace proposals via intermediaries and that they were “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”. Continue reading...
• U.S. stocks edged higher on March 30, 2026, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2% in afternoon trading after its worst week since the war with Iran began.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 257 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 also advanced amid ongoing market volatility.
• Oil prices continued climbing due to uncertainty over the timeline of the U.S.-Iran war, contributing to swinging trading sessions on Wall Street.
Anatoly Kolodkin could soon discharge at Matanzas port, US official says, three months after Cuba’s last oil importA Russia-flagged tanker carrying Russian crude entered Cuba’s exclusive economic zone on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, in what could be the Caribbean country’s first oil import in over two months.Tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which departed from Primorsk after loading some 650,000 barrels of Urals crude, could soon discharge at Cuba’s Matanzas port if it does not change its current course, according to tracking services MarineTraffic and LSEG. Continue reading...
• Crude oil prices have climbed to their highest levels since 2022, driven by geopolitical tensions from the ongoing Iran war and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
• President Trump extended his self-imposed deadline to "obliterate" Iran's power plants to April 6, contingent on Iran allowing oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The elevated oil prices are contributing to market volatility, with Wall Street experiencing daily fluctuations as investor sentiment shifts between hopes for war resolution and renewed concerns.
• President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, pausing potential air strikes on power plants after closing the vital trade route.
• Oil prices climbed higher due to Middle East conflict concerns, while Asian and European markets closed lower; US stocks ended Thursday down with Nasdaq in correction territory at 21,408.08.
• ECB President Christine Lagarde warned equity markets are 'too optimistic' amid the 'real shock' in Iran, as Dow fell 1% to 45,960.11 and S&P 500 dropped 1.7% to 6,477.16.
Australian counterterrorism experts observe December shooting came amid years of messaging from terror group urging followers to act ‘on their own initiative’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Bondi beach terror attack occurred amid an international spike of anti-western plots in December last year that appeared to be “inspired or instigated” by Islamic State, a new report has found, with many of them targeting holiday events such as Christmas markets.In research published by the West Point Combating Terrorism Center in its publication Sentinel on Thursday, Australian counterterrorism experts Andrew Zammit and Levi West examined Islamic State’s strategic shifts and jihadi tactics in Australia prior to the alleged antisemitic terrorist attack. Continue reading...
Giorgia Meloni made public request for Daniela Santanchè to quit in effort to restore credibility after voters rejected judicial reformItaly’s embattled tourism minister has resigned, heeding a call from Giorgia Meloni to step down as the prime minister strives to restore credibility after a bruising defeat in a referendum that has thrown her far-right government into turmoil.The resignation on Wednesday of Daniela Santanchè, a prominent and brash member of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, came after the prime minister took the unusual step of calling in a public statement for the minister to go. Continue reading...
• JPMorgan revised its 2026 S&P 500 year-end price target down to 7,200 from 7,500, citing rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions as key headwinds to earnings.
• The bank warned the index could slide to as low as 6,000 in the near term if current pressures intensify, with 6,000 to 6,200 identified as potential support levels if recession risks escalate.
• The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,506.48, down 1.51%, marking its fourth consecutive weekly loss and lowest level in six months amid AI monetization doubts and Fed rate-cut expectations reversing.
• Brent crude oil prices rose 3.2% to USD 103.42 per barrel, while US oil prices increased 2.9% to USD 96.21 per barrel due to Strait of Hormuz tensions and reduced vessel movement.
• The Trump administration plans to ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector by issuing permits for foreign companies, aiming to boost crude production and counter soaring prices.
• Global oil markets remain volatile as the Strait of Hormuz, through which 13 million barrels pass daily, faces ongoing disruptions from the Iran conflict.
• U.S. stocks ended higher on March 17, with the Dow Jones up 0.1% to 46,993.26, S&P 500 up 0.25% to 6,716.09, and Nasdaq up 0.47% to 22,479.53.
• Energy sector led gains at 1.02% amid oil surge tied to Middle East tensions, while health care lagged down 0.92%.
• Investors await Federal Reserve policy guidance from its latest meeting, boosting market sentiment despite volatility.
Ten million people left without power in latest of outages that sparked violent protest last weekendCuba’s national electric grid has collapsed, the country’s grid operator has said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island’s already obsolete generation system.The grid operator, UNE, said on social media on Monday that it was investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that last weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run country. Continue reading...
• The S&P 500 declined 1.6% last week, marking its third consecutive weekly drop, with the Dow falling 2% and Nasdaq shedding 1.3% due to soaring oil prices and broad market selling.
• Surging oil prices from geopolitical tensions, including US-Iran escalation, drove the downturn, as investors brace for NVIDIA GTC AI event and FOMC rate decision this week (March 16-20, 2026).
• Markets now price only a 33% chance of a June rate cut, down from 57% last month, amid persistent inflation data; Thursday's jobless claims will gauge labor market health.
• The S&P 500 fell 1.6% last week to 6,632.19, now down 5% from its January 27 high of 6,978.60 and 3.1% year-to-date, hit by broad selling across indices including Dow -2% and Nasdaq -1.3%.
• Geopolitical tensions from US-Iran escalation drove oil higher, with markets pricing in prolonged uncertainty as the conflict enters its third week.
• Core PCE price index rose 0.36% month-over-month, with annualized three-month trend at 3.7%, signaling persistent inflation pressuring Fed rate cut expectations.
• The Trump administration has suspended sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea, a decision the European Union is actively pushing back against as counterproductive to international pressure on Moscow.
• The move reflects competing priorities between managing energy prices during the Iran conflict and maintaining unified sanctions against Russia over its broader geopolitical actions.
• EU officials argue that easing Russian oil sanctions undermines the coalition's ability to hold Russia accountable and contradicts the administration's stated commitment to allied coordination.
NATO alliance leaders have called on President Trump to lift the recent suspension of sanctions on Russian oil, citing risks to European security and energy markets following U.S. waivers for stranded cargoes. The plea comes as global gas prices rise, with EU officials pushing back against the U.S. policy shift. Transatlantic friction escalates as Trump prioritizes American consumers, potentially straining alliance unity ahead of summits. Energy experts predict prolonged market volatility if policies remain divergent.
‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipmentsBusiness live – latest updatesThe US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases.The US treasury has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...
The United States announced a 30-day easing of sanctions on Russian oil on March 13, 2026, following a joint international release of record oil reserves that failed to lower barrel prices amid the Iran war. Global volatility from the conflict, now in its third week, exacerbates inflation pressures worldwide. This temporary measure aims to alleviate rapidly rising US fuel costs, though experts warn it may not suffice as Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts 20% of global oil trade.
Chevron shares climbed 30% year-to-date as of March 13, 2026, buoyed by Brent oil breaking $100 per barrel on supply concerns from Middle East tensions. The energy major benefited from higher crude prices despite broader market declines. ConocoPhillips saw minor premarket pullback but remains elevated. Investors eye sustained oil gains boosting Big Oil profits amid inflation trade.
Brent crude oil has climbed above $100 per barrel, intensifying global inflation concerns and triggering a selloff in U.S. equity futures on March 13, 2026. The surge reflects escalating geopolitical tensions related to the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, which experts warn could dampen market sentiment and economic growth. Oil majors Chevron and ConocoPhillips are seeing significant gains, with Chevron up 30% year-to-date, as energy stocks benefit from higher crude prices. The broader market remains volatile as investors assess the macroeconomic implications of sustained elevated oil prices.