North Sea oil hit record highs today as Iran maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran reached a ceasefire agreement but failed to stem the energy crunch. Brent crude surged above $100 while specialized grades commanded massive premiums.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that "Iranians don't seem to realize they have no cards other than short term extortion of the World." The statement came hours after ceasefire talks stalled. VLO Valero pulled back on Mexican oil purchases after a Texas refinery blast compounded supply chain chaos.
Investors warned the Iran conflict will leave a lasting scar on Wall Street. Commodity prices and bond yields show no signs of returning to pre-war levels. Financial Times flagged that Africa's cash-strapped governments are turning to complex derivatives as debt costs spiral.
CRML Critical Metals Corp surged on defense material shortage fears. ZNTL Zentalis Pharmaceuticals jumped as biotech grabbed unusual attention. BX Blackstone eyes a $2B IPO for a data center acquisition firm testing capital markets appetite amid volatility.
META Meta's AI outlook brightened with the Muse Spark release today. The tech giant showed renewed momentum as defensive rotation accelerated.
India struggled to stabilize the rupee as foreign exchange reserves declined sharply. The RBI showed reluctance to let currency float freely as war created depreciation pressure. Asian markets absorbed sustained selling while European stocks held modest gains.
Small cap stocks outperformed globally as investors rotated from megacap exposure. Uzbekistan prepared to list state assets in London marking the country's first global IPO move.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
