Group 1 - European stocks are expected to start the new trading week in negative territory due to geopolitical developments in Iran and pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell [1][2] - The U.K.'s FTSE index is projected to open 0.13% lower, Germany's DAX is also expected to decline, while France's CAC 40 is flat and Italy's FTSE MIB is down 0.26% [2] - Market watchers are focused on the situation in Iran, where widespread protests have been met with a violent crackdown by authorities, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to consider various actions against Iran [2][3] Group 2 - U.S. stock futures fell after the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, escalating tensions between Trump and the central bank [4] - Powell confirmed the investigation is related to his Senate Banking Committee testimony and stated it is an attempt by Trump to influence monetary policy [4][5] - Powell's term as chair is set to end in May, and he has indicated he will not succumb to pressure from the administration [5]

US stocks delivered a mixed performance on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing to a fresh record as investors continued to navigate geopolitical developments, shifting energy markets, and new labour market data. The 30-stock Dow advanced 120 points, or 0.2%, extending its strong start to 2026 and setting a new all-time high. ...

By 8:20 a.m. in London (3:20 a.m. ET), the pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.3% higher, with most regional bourses seeing gains. The index was last seen trading at an all-time high, while Spain's IBEX 35 also rose to a record high in early trade after touching on a record price in the previous session.LONDON — European stocks opened broadly higher on Tuesday, with some indexes touching record highs as investors track geopolitical developments following the U.S.' ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.Looking ...

Investor sentiment remains cautious on Tuesday, reflecting global cues, geopolitical developments as well as the fluctuations in commodity prices. Canadian stocks might continue to be at the negative territory at open. The S&TP/TSX 60 index closed on Monday at 1,848.00, down 2.44 or 0.13 percent, while S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 43.95 points or 0.14 percent to finish at 31,483.44.The gold futures are gaining, while the silver price is on a decline. The U.S. unemployment for November as revealed by the La ...

Special Issue | December 15, 2025 | 3:00PM EST GLOBAL MACRO RESEARCH TOP MIND of 2025: 4 THEMES IN CHARTS Our special Top of Mind year-end edition Features charts, quotes, and a crossword, per our tradition. They tell the story of a year that was anything but boring, In four themes that we found well worth exploring. The year began with tariff talk galore, As Donald Trump assumed the US presidency once more, And upended decades of trade policy through significant action, Which led to worries about a US econ ...

Core Insights - Oil stocks are currently influenced by geopolitical developments, including a halt in exports from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium due to a Ukraine drone attack and ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, which may affect supply [1] - OPEC+ has decided to maintain oil output levels unchanged for the first quarter of 2026, contributing to the current market dynamics [1] - January-dated crude prices have increased by 1% to $59.11 [1] Company Performance - Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) shares have risen by 0.6% to $116.70, following an increase in HSBC's price target from $121 to $126, despite a year-to-date gain of only 8.6% [2] - Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) stock is up 1.1% to $152.80, maintaining a year-to-date breakeven level while trading between $146 and $161 since July [3] - ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) shares have increased by 1.8% to $90.32, although the stock is down 9% in 2025, facing resistance from moving averages above [3] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts remain overwhelmingly bullish on Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips, with only three out of 77 brokerage positions rated as "sell," while the majority are "buy" or "hold" ratings [4] - Potential downgrades could occur if analysts are dissatisfied with the geopolitical developments affecting these companies [4]

Core Viewpoint - Oil prices are experiencing fluctuations due to geopolitical developments and uncertainty surrounding U.S. interest rate cuts, with Brent crude and WTI both showing declines [1]. Oil Market Summary - Brent crude is down 0.9% to $62.82 per barrel, while WTI has slid 1.1% to $58.40 per barrel, following a drop of approximately 2% earlier in the session [1]. - Investors are focusing on a U.S.-drafted plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which is influencing market sentiment [1]. Regulatory Context - The U.S. has set a deadline for companies to suspend purchases of crude from Russian firms Rosneft and Lukoil, which is relevant to the current oil market dynamics [2].

Group 1 - Oil prices are rising in early trading after a previous session decline of 2%, with Brent crude and WTI both increasing by 0.5% to $63.83 and $59.56 per barrel respectively [1][2] - Investors are weighing risks to Russian supplies amid mixed U.S. inventory reports, which could impact future oil prices [1] - President Donald Trump has sent a Pentagon delegation to Kyiv to revive negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which may ease supply disruption concerns and potentially lead to the lifting of sanctions on Russian crude [2]