Asian Currencies Steady as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Extension Hopes Weigh on Dollar 
South Korea Central Bank Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns 
Oil Prices Jump After New U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Supply Concerns 
Asian Stocks Rally as AI Boom and Iran Ceasefire Progress Lift Market Sentiment 
Dow Hits Record High as Healthcare and Consumer Stocks Lead Wall Street Rally 
European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions 
ECB’s Philip Lane Warns Middle East Conflict Could Keep Inflation Elevated 
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 3.1% as Supermarket Price Pressures Ease in May 2026 
US Dollar Slips as Markets Weigh Potential US-Iran Peace Deal and Oil Price Outlook 
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Tech Rally Slows Amid Iran Peace Uncertainty 
U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority as Global Oil Markets Face Turmoil 
Tokyo Inflation Cools in May, Supporting BOJ’s Cautious Rate Hike Path 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
Wall Street Hits New Highs as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Talks Boost Market Sentiment 
Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar and Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty Weigh on Market 
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026 
Oil prices were mostly steady during Asian trading on Friday, yet both benchmark crude contracts remained on track for weekly losses after a sharp selloff in the previous session. Brent crude futures for April delivery edged up 0.1% to $67.56 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 0.1% to $62.87 per barrel. Despite the modest rebound, both benchmarks fell nearly 3% in the prior session, positioning them for around a 1% decline for the week.
Market sentiment has been pressured by growing concerns about a potential global oil supply glut. The International Energy Agency (IEA), in its latest monthly oil market report, projected a surplus of more than 3.7 million barrels per day in 2026. The agency also noted that global oil inventories increased significantly last year, marking one of the fastest stockpile builds since the pandemic. Rising inventories and resilient non-OPEC production have intensified fears of prolonged oversupply in the global energy market.
Adding to bearish sentiment, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported an 8.53 million barrel jump in crude inventories this week, far exceeding market expectations and representing the largest build since January 2025. The sharp increase signals softer refinery demand and abundant supply in the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer.
Meanwhile, geopolitical developments remain in focus. Comments from former U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that negotiations over a potential U.S.-Iran nuclear deal could extend for up to a month reduced immediate concerns about supply disruptions from the Middle East. This tempered the geopolitical risk premium that had previously supported crude oil prices.
Investors are also awaiting key U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data, which could influence Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. Strong January jobs data has already dampened expectations for near-term rate cuts, adding another layer of uncertainty to the oil market outlook.
