Risk sentiment improved during Friday's session, as Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be completely open to commercial traffic, news that were confirmed by President Donald Trump. Energy prices fell drastically, with Brent reaching USD 90/barrel at the close of the session and TTF settling below EUR 40/MWh, while volatility also retreated.
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Investors kicked off the week on a cautious tone, amid stalled US–Iran peace talks and ahead of a week packed with central bank meetings, including the Fed, ECB, BoJ and BoE. Markets will focus on policymakers’ assessment of the recent energy shock, its implications for growth and inflation, and any potential monetary policy response.
Yesterday’s session reflected renewed caution over the prospects for a resolution of the Middle East conflict, as negotiations between the US and Iran remained deadlocked, with President Trump describing Tehran’s latest proposal as “totally unacceptable”. Brent settled above $104/barrel and volatility ticked up.
Risk sentiment remained broadly positive for another session, as investor focus continued to shift away from Middle East tensions, with no major developments and stable energy prices (Brent crude around $105/barrel), toward macroeconomic data, corporate earnings and AI-related investment themes.
Yesterday's session had a risk-on tone, after US President Trump made comments referring to the deal talks with Iran as being in their final stages. Crude oil prices fell, with the barrel of Brent dropping by more than 5% to settle at USD 105/barrel, while TTF also went down by a similar magnitude (closing at EUR 49/MWh) and volatility fell.
Friday's session was driven by the provisional agreement reached by the US and Iran for a 60-day ceasefire that would pave the way to resume talks regarding Teheran's nuclear programme. Energy prices fell accordingly, broadly by 2%, and market-implied volatility also ticked down.
Brent oil and TTF gas whipsawed and stock markets were mixed as hostilities in the Middle East continued to weigh on investor sentiment. Tech equities steadied after last week's rout, but both the S&P 500 and the Eurostoxx closed moderately lower.
Global markets traded on a risk-on note in yesterday's session. Stocks rallied across advanced and emerging economies, supported by a recovery in semiconductor shares. The improvement in investor sentiment defied higher energy prices in commodity markets, as the price of Brent crude rose above $90 per barrel amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Wednesday's session carried a cautious tone. U.S. stocks were mixed and European equities fell broadly, while crude oil edged higher and TTF natural gas surged sharply, reversing recent declines. In FX markets, the dollar strengthened moderately, weighing on the euro.
Thursday's session carried a sharply divergent tone between the two sides of the Atlantic. France's risk premium reached 140 bps as investors intensified their fiscal concerns and continued to lead a widening in sovereign spreads, with yields on German Bunds dropping amid safe-haven flows. European stocks fell markedly, with France leading losses.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remained at the center of investors’ attention on Monday. Oil prices moved higher following attacks on Saudi Arabia, offsetting earlier optimism around Russian diesel exports and a potential Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire announced by Trump over the weekend. Brent crude rose 1.8% to USD 106.7/bbl.
World stocks fell, led by chipmakers and concerns over AI spending. Wall Street closed lower (the Nasdaq 100 dragged by semiconductors) and Asian shares hit a two-month low before steadying as the selloff eased. In Europe, the STOXX 600 touched a one-week high on softer oil and yields. US big-bank earnings (JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo) kicked off to mixed reviews.
Moderate risk-off sentiment prevailed across markets following the upside surprise in U.S. inflation, while oil prices remained elevated amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The CPI data came in slightly higher than expected, standing at 3.7% YoY, driven primarily by energy prices, particularly gasoline.
Thursday's session carried a distinctly risk-off tone, driven by tensions in the Middle East and AI investor concerns. Brent oil surged on Saudi Arabian supply disruption fears, and TTF gas rose in tandem with oil prices. Stock markets declined across the board, further dragged by a selloff in technology equities.
Investors ended the week shaking off some of the previous risk-off mood. In the eurozone, German yields rose and peripheral spreads narrowed (particularly in France) as flight-to-quality demand faded, while weaker-than-expected October PMIs (French Composite: 48.7) reinforced expectations of an ECB pause on Thursday.
Yesterday's session carried a risk-off tone, driven by an AI selloff and a partial rebound in oil prices. Technology equities tumbled, the Nasdaq dropped nearly 6% and dragged the S&P 500 to its worst session since April 2025. European stocks were comparatively resilient, insulated by their lower technology exposure.
Equities and sovereign yields decreased slightly in most of the developed countries due to a spike of risk aversion on the renewed tensions between the US and North Korea.
Strong rebound in sovereign yields especially for the Treasury yields that reached the highest level in two month mainly on the announcement of Donald Trump's tax-cut plan.
Stock markets mixed on Wednesday, as they remained broadly stable in the US, declined in the euro area periphery and advanced in Germany.
Investors remained cautious during the last day of the week with most of the main developped stock markets relatively stable and small decreases in sovereign yields.