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 MarketWTI crude oil futures rose toward $59 per barrel on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session, after the US intercepted a sanctioned tanker near Venezuela. The move prompted a pullback in shipments from the South American producer and heightened fears of escalating tensions. Adding to the risk premium, Ukraine struck a shadow-fleet tanker tied to Russia’s oil trade, despite US calls for a ceasefire. It is the fifth such attack on Russia-linked ships since late last month. Rising geopolitical tensions come against a bearish crude backdrop, as higher output from OPEC+ and its allies is expected to outpace weak demand and create a supply glut. Fresh OPEC and IEA monthly reports due Thursday may provide further clarity on the market balance. Elsewhere, government data showed US crude inventories fell by 1.8 million barrels last week, while stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma, rose after four weeks of declines but stayed at their lowest seasonal level since 2007.
