Dips

• The S&P 500 index closed at 6,450.06, down 16.52 points or 0.26%, reflecting cautious trading in US equities over the past day. • Broader market showed divergence with Dow Jones ETF down 0.16% at 492.21, while S&P ETF rose 0.77% to 713.94 and Nasdaq QQQ gained 1.88% to 663.88. • Gold prices fell to 4,725.40 per ounce, down 15.50, amid shifting investor risk appetite ahead of economic data releases.

• The share of Affordable Care Act customers in plans exceeding $6,000 yearly doubled following expiration of Covid-era assistance, signaling household budget pressures. • US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data shows 2026 enrollment fell 5% to 23.1 million, with further drops expected from premium non-payers. • This cost surge underscores ongoing affordability challenges in the Obamacare marketplace post-subsidy end.

Markets in Asia and Europe move higher, while crude hovers at about $100 a barrel amid cautious optimismBusiness live – latest updatesThe price of oil has dipped and Asian stock markets moved higher after reports that Donald Trump has sent a 15-point framework for peace to Iran, amid hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East.Oil prices had fallen by 4% in the early hours of Wednesday, with brent crude futures sinking below $100 a barrel and even moving as low as $97.57 as trading was influenced by the prospect of an end to the conflict easing the squeeze on oil supply. Continue reading...