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• Oil prices surged amid Iran-U.S. conflict threatening global supplies, but U.S. stocks remained resilient near record highs driven by strong earnings from Visa and Starbucks on April 29, 2026. • S&P 500 edged down 0.1%, Dow fell 286 points or 0.6%, Nasdaq up 0.1%; Visa shares jumped 8.3% on resilient consumer spending per CEO Ryan McInerney, Starbucks climbed 8.6% with higher per-visit spending in North America. • Federal Reserve officials hinted at no 2026 rate cuts, nearly eliminating investor bets and nearly favoring hikes due to inflation from energy prices; bond market trembled.

• U.S. stock futures were slightly down or mixed on Monday morning as investors reacted to stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran. • The geopolitical tension created uncertainty in markets, with traders reassessing risk positions amid the diplomatic impasse. • Energy and defense sectors showed particular sensitivity to the developments, reflecting concerns about potential escalation.

• Tesla's stock fell 3.2% on April 26 after the company reported first-quarter global deliveries of 389,000 vehicles, missing consensus expectations of 410,000 units and marking the weakest quarterly performance in two years. • Management attributed the shortfall to supply chain disruptions at the Berlin and Texas Gigafactories, as well as slower-than-anticipated demand in European and Chinese markets, particularly for the Model 3 and Model Y lineup. • The miss reignites concerns about Tesla's ability to sustain its 50% annual growth target and prompted three major brokerages to lower 2026 earnings forecasts by 8–12%, citing heightened competition from legacy automakers' EV offerings.

• U.S. stock futures fell late Sunday with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 130 points or 0.3%, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures also declining after record highs on Friday. • West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2% above $96 per barrel following collapsed U.S.-Iran talks announced Saturday. • The Federal Reserve's interest-rate committee meets Tuesday-Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell's likely final press conference anticipated amid market highs.

• US stocks recently reached an all-time high even as geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran dominate headlines, suggesting investor confidence in economic fundamentals. • The market surge occurs amid what analysts describe as a major market disruption cycle, with oil shocks and other disruptions rattling investors before receding. • The disconnect between headline risks and market performance highlights investor focus on sustained economic growth and underlying corporate fundamentals over short-term geopolitical concerns.

Sarah Breeden predicts ‘adjustment’ due to elevated risk including private credit and highly valued AI stocksBusiness live – latest updatesRecord-high global stock markets do not reflect the risks in the global economy, and will fall back, a deputy governor at the Bank of England has warned.Sarah Breeden, deputy governor for financial stability at the Bank, fears that macroeconomic risks are not fully priced into equity markets. Continue reading...

• The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released preliminary measurement guidance addressing accounting treatment for paid-in-kind (PIK) dividends on equity-classified preferred stock. • The guidance represents an important clarification for companies issuing preferred stock with dividend structures, affecting financial reporting standards across the U.S. corporate sector. • This regulatory development impacts corporate accounting practices and may influence capital structure decisions for companies considering preferred equity financing.

• The U.S. market advanced 1.7% over the past seven days, continuing its strong performance with a 34% gain over the past year. • Earnings are projected to grow by 16% annually, reflecting broad-based economic expansion across sectors. • The sustained market strength indicates investor confidence in corporate profitability and economic fundamentals heading into late April.

ONS says sales up by 0.7% in March, spurred by big rise in fuel purchases and sunny weather helping retailersBusiness live – latest updatesRetail sales in Great Britain rose last month due to motorists stocking up on fuel as they watched prices at the pump escalate rapidly because of the Iran war.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the volume of retail sales rose 0.7% last month, well above analysts’ forecasts of just 0.1%, as the quantity of fuel bought hit the highest level since 2021. Continue reading...

• MarketBeat's stock screener identified five key financial stocks to research: Robinhood Markets, Visa, Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. II, Coinbase Global, and Intuit. • These equities represent diverse segments within the financial services sector, including fintech, payment processing, and software solutions. • The stocks merit investor attention for fundamental and technical analysis.

• US military missile inventories, including Tomahawks, Patriots, and THAAD interceptors, are depleting faster than production rates amid the Iran war launched February 28, 2026. • President Trump extended the Iran truce, prompting questions on whether it's a diplomatic move or a pause to resupply amid sustainability concerns. • The conflict, triggered by US-Israeli airstrikes killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has led to Iranian retaliation and Strait of Hormuz closure, disrupting global oil supplies.

Australia’s Corporate Travel Management is ‘negotiating commercial arrangements’ to refund the moneyThe Australian company that ran the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge has admitted it overcharged the British government by £118m.Corporate Travel Management (CTM) said its auditor had found evidence of “erroneous billing” of its UK clients, increasing its estimate of how much it owes the government by £40m. Continue reading...

• US stock indexes rose on April 22, 2026, with the S&P 500 up 0.9% nearing its all-time high, Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 317 points or 0.7%, and Nasdaq composite jumping 1.3%. • Brent crude oil surged 3.6% to $102.04 per barrel due to uncertainty over the US-Iran war impacting Persian Gulf petroleum flows. • Corporate earnings boosted shares: GE Vernova soared 12.1% after exceeding first-quarter profit expectations, Boston Scientific rallied 8.6%, Boeing climbed 5.7%, and Philip Morris rose 6.9%.

• U.S. stock futures fell 0.46% Monday morning as Iran declined to engage in peace talks with the Trump administration, escalating geopolitical tensions. • Oil prices climbed to $95 per barrel, up from $86 three days prior, reflecting market concerns over potential supply disruptions from the Iran conflict. • Despite the geopolitical headwinds, markets have shown resilience with strong corporate earnings growth at 17% annually offsetting valuation pressures.

• Stripe completed the acquisition of Wise Exchange, a fintech startup specializing in cross-border payment optimization, for $1.2 billion in stock on April 18, expanding its international payment capabilities. • The acquisition adds Wise Exchange's proprietary currency conversion algorithms and partnerships with 40+ financial institutions across Europe, Asia, and Americas to Stripe's existing platform. • Industry analysts view this acquisition as Stripe's strategic response to intensifying competition from Block, PayPal, and traditional payment networks in the global payments sector.

• Stocks surged following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and President Donald Trump's blockade measures, signaling reduced energy supply constraints. • The market reaction reflects investor optimism over improved shipping lanes and normalized energy flows, with financial commentators attributing the gains to Trump's diplomatic efforts. • The reopening of this critical global shipping chokepoint addresses a major source of market volatility tied to Middle East tensions.

• The Pentagon is reportedly reaching out to civilian manufacturers including Ford and General Motors to boost weapons production, as years of supplying Ukraine followed by sustained Middle East operations have allegedly drained critical missile stockpiles. • Reports suggest the US military is facing a deepening munitions crisis affecting high-tech systems like THAAD and Tomahawk missiles, raising questions about industrial capacity to meet demand. • The growing focus on weapons production and ceasefire negotiations has sparked debate about whether diplomatic efforts are being driven by strategy or by supply constraints.

• Anthropic announced a new frontier AI model on April 16, 2026, capable of advanced performance that sent shockwaves through the tech industry. • Investors reacted negatively, resuming an AI-driven slump in software stocks as the model's capabilities raised concerns over market dynamics. • The release highlights ongoing US AI breakthroughs and their immediate impact on Wall Street valuations.

• The US500 index rose to 6970 points on April 15, 2026, gaining 0.04% from the previous trading session. • Amazon led gainers with a 2.55% increase, followed by Nvidia at 1.54% and Microsoft at 1.49%, while Chevron fell 2.15%. • Over the past month, the index has climbed 4.03% and is up 29.14% compared to the same period last year, according to contract-for-difference tracking.

• Wall Street stocks closed mixed on Friday, April 10, 2026, with S&P 500 down 0.1% at 6,816.89, Dow dropping 0.6% to 47,916.47, and Nasdaq up 0.4% to 22,902.90 amid anticipation of U.S.-Iran talks post-ceasefire. • Healthcare stocks led declines with Eli Lilly falling 1.8% and Johnson & Johnson down 1.3%, offset by tech gains including Nvidia up 3% and Broadcom rising 5.3%. • Oil prices slipped while major indexes recovered most March losses from Iran conflict, now just 2.3% below S&P 500's January all-time high, though volatility persists on war news.

• Tesla shares rose 7.2% Thursday after the company announced successful deployment of advanced autonomous driving features in two additional states, bringing the full self-driving beta program to 15 states nationwide. • Multiple Wall Street analysts upgraded Tesla's stock, raising average price targets by 12-15%, citing accelerated path to profitability and potential for robotaxi revenue streams beginning in late 2026. • The autonomous driving announcement offset broader semiconductor sector weakness, with Tesla demonstrating differentiation from legacy automakers lacking comparable self-driving capabilities.

• US stocks recovered from early morning losses Thursday to finish higher, with the S&P 500 up 0.7%, Dow Jones up 0.8% (382 points), and Nasdaq composite up 0.8%, buoyed by optimism over a two-week ceasefire with Iran announced late Tuesday. • Israel's announcement of direct negotiations with Lebanon helped calm market concerns that the ceasefire could unravel due to Israeli bombardment of the country, reversing initial trading pessimism. • The S&P 500 remains just 2.1% below its all-time high set in January, indicating underlying market strength despite geopolitical volatility and oil price fluctuations.

Expert said federal law bars officials from taking actions in their jobs that benefit their own financial interestsA high-profile US defense department official who oversees the agency’s artificial intelligence efforts made a profit of up to $24m selling a private investment he held in Elon Musk’s AI company earlier this year, according to government ethics records released this month. The value of his stake totaled a maximum of a million dollars when he joined the department.Emil Michael, who is the Pentagon’s under secretary for research and engineering under the Trump administration, oversees negotiations with AI companies and has been pushing the defense department to rapidly increase the widespread use of AI. Continue reading...

Brent crude oil dropped to $93 a barrel after Trump ceasefire announcement and Iran’s pledge to reopen strait of Hormuz under its managementMiddle East crisis – live updatesFull report: US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire with Tehran saying it will reopen strait of HormuzOil prices plunged by almost 15% after Donald Trump held off on his threat to bomb Iran into the stone ages on Tuesday night, and Iran’s foreign minister said passage through the strait of Hormuz would be allowed for the next two weeks under the management of its military.With just over an hour until his deadline was due to pass, the US president said he was holding off on threatened attacks on Iran, subject to Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

• US stock indexes showed mixed performance on Monday morning with S&P 500 up 0.1%, Dow down 0.1% or 46 points, and Nasdaq up 0.3% amid ceasefire mediation efforts. • President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges by Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, stating 'you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!' on social media. • Gasoline prices hit $4.12 per gallon nationally, up from below $3 before late February US-Israel attacks, pressuring the economy despite strong March jobs data.

• US stock futures edged higher on April 5, 2026, with S&P 500 futures up 0.2%, as investors reacted to reports of a push for a potential ceasefire in the Iran war. • Brent crude oil dipped to near $108 a barrel, the dollar weakened, and 10-year Treasury yields hovered around 4.36%. • Trading opened shadowed by Trump escalation threats, with several European and Asian markets closed for Easter holiday.

• S&P 500, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and Russell 2000 futures turned lower on Sunday evening ahead of the US market reopening on April 6, 2026, post-Easter weekend. • The downturn follows a holiday break, with trading heavily impacted by recent geopolitical developments and economic data releases. • Investors are monitoring ceasefire reports and Trump-related escalation threats for potential volatility at the open.

• Faraday Future's 2025 annual financial report revealed stockholders' equity shifted from negative to positive. • The company's EAI robotics business posted a positive gross margin in its first delivery quarter this year. • Faraday Future targets over 1,000 unit shipments for its EAI robotics by end of 2026, signaling expansion plans.