Global Markets Retreat as Middle East Tensions Send Oil Past $114; Elliott Targets Synopsys

Key TakeawaysBrent Crude surged to $114.35 per barrel and WTI touched $101.50 as the U.S. and Iran traded threats to strike critical energy infrastructure in the Middle East.Nikkei 225 futures plummeted to 50,530, trading more than 2,800 points below the cash close of 53,372, signaling a massive "risk-off" opening for Asian markets.Activist investor Elliott Management has built a significant stake in chip-design software leader Synopsys (SNPS), according to reports from the Wall Street Journal.U.S. stock fu ...