Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Oil Prices Drop as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Recovers 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
South Korea’s KOSPI Jumps Over 5% as Samsung, SK Hynix Rally on Micron Earnings Boost 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
U.S. Dollar Reaches One-Year High as Tech Sell-Off and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Support Demand 
Oil prices edged lower in Asian trading on Wednesday after climbing to multi-week highs in the previous session, as investors balanced geopolitical supply concerns against fresh data showing a sharp increase in U.S. crude inventories. The pullback came after a strong rally driven by fears that unrest in Iran could disrupt global oil supplies.
Brent crude futures for March delivery slipped about 0.4% to trade near $65.19 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell roughly 0.5% to around $60.87 per barrel. Despite the modest decline, both benchmarks remained close to their recent peaks, after surging more than 2.5% on Tuesday. The gains pushed Brent to an 11-week high and WTI to a 10-week high, marking the fourth consecutive session of advances fueled by geopolitical tensions.
The rally was largely underpinned by escalating anti-government protests in Iran, one of the largest oil producers within OPEC. Market participants have increasingly priced in a geopolitical risk premium amid concerns that prolonged unrest could threaten Iranian crude exports and tighten global supply. Adding to market anxiety, U.S. President Donald Trump issued strong warnings to Iranian authorities, including the possibility of military action if crackdowns on protesters continue. He also reiterated threats of imposing tariffs on countries trading with Iran, further raising uncertainty around future supply flows.
However, gains in oil prices were capped by bearish inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute. According to the API, U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose by approximately 5.3 million barrels last week, significantly exceeding market expectations of a 2 million-barrel increase. Gasoline inventories jumped by about 8.2 million barrels, while distillate stocks climbed roughly 4.3 million barrels, highlighting ample supplies across refined products.
Investors are now awaiting official inventory figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration later on Wednesday, which could confirm trends in crude oil, gasoline, and distillate stocks. The data will be closely watched for further clues on near-term oil price direction, as markets continue to navigate the push and pull between geopolitical risk and supply-demand fundamentals.
