S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
WTI crude oil futures rose above $93 per barrel on Thursday as traders balanced signs that the US and Iran may extend a ceasefire with the ongoing double blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which continues to disrupt flows. Both sides are reportedly considering a two week extension to allow more time for negotiations, while traffic through the key waterway linking the Persian Gulf to global markets remains largely paralyzed as the conflict nears its seventh week. The US has imposed a blockade to restrict Iranian shipments, while Tehran has kept the strait closed to most other vessels and warned it will halt all regional trade if restrictions persist. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said forces remain ready to resume combat if ordered. The conflict has caused a major supply shock, lifting inflation pressures and weighing on growth, though prices have eased from earlier peaks despite remaining significantly above pre war levels.
