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
- The Canadian Dollar may weaken as falling oil prices pressure Canada’s crude-export-driven economy.
- Oil prices fall as easing Middle East tensions reduce concerns over potential supply disruptions.
- The US proposed to Iran a memorandum of understanding to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
USD/CAD remains flat after registering modest gains in the previous trading day, hovering around 1.3630 during the Asian hours on Thursday. The commodity-linked Canadian Dollar (CAD) may struggle amid lower oil prices, given Canada’s status as the largest crude exporter to the United States (US).
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price extends its losses for the third consecutive day, trading around $92.60 per barrel at the time of writing. Crude oil prices depreciate on easing supply concerns amid prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
The BBC reported on Wednesday that Iran said a US proposal to end the war is “still being considered” after reports that the two countries could be close to an agreement. The US has presented a one-page memorandum of understanding to Iran that would gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American blockade on Iranian ports. Detailed talks on Iran’s nuclear program would come later in the process, the person said, adding that nothing has been agreed upon yet.
CNBC reported on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump said that Iran will be bombed “at a much higher level” if it doesn’t agree to a peace deal. Trump, in a Truth Social post, said the US military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury “will be at an end” if Iran “agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption.”
The US Dollar could face challenges as easing concerns over price pressures could convince the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to cut the interest rate rather than keep policy restrictive for longer.
