Gold Falls Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Weigh on Prices 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Bessent Says U.S. Must Strengthen Supply Chains and Economic Security 
South Korea Remains MSCI Emerging Market Despite Reform Progress 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
U.S. Dollar Reaches One-Year High as Tech Sell-Off and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Support Demand 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
Australia Jobs Growth Strengthens Rate Hike Outlook 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
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 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Tech Stocks Struggle Ahead of Micron Earnings 
Global financial markets were rattled Monday after the United States announced a blockade on Iranian shipping following the breakdown of weekend peace negotiations. The decision has renewed fears over Middle East energy supply disruptions, sending oil prices sharply higher while stocks and bonds across Asia and Europe declined.
Brent crude futures climbed 7.3% to $102 per barrel, reflecting deep investor concern over the potential long-term impact on global energy supplies. The move effectively eliminates up to 2 million barrels of Iranian-linked oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane. MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic warned that if the U.S. escalates further with strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, the consequences for regional oil output could extend well beyond the duration of the conflict.
U.S. equity futures dropped 0.7%, while European futures fell 1.3%. Asian stock markets in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney each declined roughly 1%. In bond markets, Japan's 10-year yield reached a 29-year peak of 2.49%, signaling growing inflation anxiety among investors. The U.S. dollar strengthened, with the euro dipping to around $1.1687, as traders shifted toward safer assets.
President Trump acknowledged on Sunday that elevated oil and gasoline prices could persist through the November midterm elections, highlighting the domestic political stakes tied to the ongoing crisis. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and his advisers were considering limited military strikes on Iran, though no action had been confirmed.
Economists and market strategists warn that sustained high energy prices could force central banks in Europe and the U.K. to pivot toward interest rate hikes, reversing earlier expectations of rate cuts. Meanwhile, political developments in Hungary, where nationalist leader Viktor Orban lost power to a centre-right coalition, could unlock long-delayed EU funding for both Hungary and Ukraine.
