Investors opened the week with a risk-on tone after US officials, including President Trump, signalled over the weekend that negotiations with Iran were approaching an agreement. Trading volumes remained subdued, however, as several major markets, including the US and the UK, were closed for a bank holiday.
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Yesterday's session had a rather quiet tone on mixed signals, as sources in Iran announced that differences between the counterparts in the Middle East conflict were beginning to shrink, although there were no advances on Iran's nuclear programme. Brent prices fell by more than 2%, while natural gas closed flat.
With no known progress on the peace negotiations in the Middle East, yesterday's session was driven by adjacent factors. Energy prices closed mixed as US Vice President JD Vance said neither side of the conflict wanted to take military action. Brent prices fell slightly to settle at USD 111/barrel while TTF prices rallied to close up 3%, at nearly EUR 52/MWh.
Risk sentiment improved late in the week as crude prices eased. European markets were closed on Friday for the May Day holiday, while US and OTC markets remained open. Here, risk sentiment was supported by lower crude prices for the second day in a row, following an Iranian proposal regarding negotiations with the US.
Investors ended the week on a cautious note as they assessed the prospects for renewed US–Iran talks over the weekend. Energy prices were volatile, with Brent crude finally settling around $105/bbl and European TTF gas near €45/MWh.
Uncertainty continued to dominate markets in yesterday's session, as no progress was made in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade of the Iranian coast and of the Strait of Hormuz persists, and peace talks have not been resumed. Market volatility ticked up and Brent prices continued to rise, reaching $105/barrel.
Investors traded in a negative mood on Monday amid a deterioration of the health crisis in the EU and the United States, following one of the best weeks for stock markets since November.
Markets started the week showing greater risk appetite as the World Health Organization listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Stocks rose across advanced and emerging economies, the USD weakened moderately and commodity prices edged up. U.S. markets were closed for the Presidents day holiday.
In yesterday's session, weaker-than-expected US retail sales in December combined with expected lower consumption due to harsh winter conditions, reinforced expectations of interest rate cuts during the year, with the first one occurring in June. Today key employment data will be released which should add further clarity on the interest-rate path.
US inflation surprised slightly to the downside, with headline CPI easing to 2.4% yoy (vs. 2.5% expected), down from 2.7% in December. The softer reading boosted expectations of further Fed easing, with money markets now pricing a 50% probability of a third 25bp rate cut in 2026. US Treasury yields declined by around 5bp across the curve.
Market sentiment turned positive following the release of robust data confirming the resilience of the US economy and continued inflation containment in the euro area. Equity markets posted broad-based gains, led by cyclical sectors.
In the latest session, investor caution prevailed amid lingering concerns over the profitability of AI, a somewhat more hawkish tone from the Fed, and an escalation of tensions between the US and Iran.
Yesterday's session showed sharp risk-off moves amid escalating Middle East tensions, with volatility picking up across assets. Brent rose to $77/barrel (briefly touching $80 during the day) and European natural gas climbed to EUR 44/MWh. Equities sold-off in Asia (-1%) and the euro area (-2%), while US markets showed relative resilience. The US dollar strengthened, gold advanced, and sovereign yields moved higher globally as investors moved into safe-have assets.
Escalating tensions in the Middle East drove a risk-off move across markets on Friday, with Brent crude rising above USD 100/barrel as concerns over energy supply disruptions intensified. Global equities declined, while the US dollar strengthened as a safe haven, pushing the EURUSD cross toward 1.14.
The sell-off in the US bond market continued on Monday as worries about inflation erode expected bond returns. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes rose 3 basis points to 1.37%. These worries also hit Asian markets, where Japan's 10-year yields rose to 0.13% and Australia's rose to its highest level since June 2019 (1.61%).
Central banks took center stage, with a broadly hawkish tilt across major economies. The ECB left the depo rate unchanged at 2.00%, as expected, but highlighted stagflationary risks stemming from the Middle East conflict. Euro area sovereign yields edged higher, as markets now fully price in two rate hikes in 2026, while the euro recovered and equities declined sharply.
In yesterday’s session, investors traded with a focus on geopolitical developments ahead of the ceasefire deadline set by President Trump. Markets opened with a risk-off tone but pared losses as the session progressed, particularly in the US, and energy prices rose. An agreement was ultimately reached shortly after midnight CET.
Yesterday's session was a quiet one, with investors assessing mixed signals of the progress toward a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East conflict, while US President Trump threatened of increasing the strikes would the Strait of Ormuz not reopen before noon today. Brent crude prices closed near $110/barrel after a choppy trading session.
Concerns over the economic growth impact of the Middle East conflict gained prominence, prompting a rotation into sovereign bonds after recent selling pressure driven by inflation fears. Equity markets were mixed globally, with sharp losses in Asia, modest gains in the euro area, and slight declines in the US.
As no major developments were reported in the Middle East, investors remained cautiously optimistic that US–Iran talks could resume in the coming days and the ceasefire will hold. Energy prices were broadly stable to softer, with Brent crude trading around $95/barrel and TTF gas easing toward €41/MWh.