Market Overview - US stock futures declined on Friday morning, with Dow futures falling approximately 200 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures also showed slight decreases, influenced by rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions [1][6] - The Federal Reserve's hawkish stance and the escalation of the Middle East conflict are contributing to downward pressure on the indices [1] Oil and Commodity Markets - Oil prices have been volatile, impacting investor sentiment since the onset of the US and Israel's conflict with Iran, with prices initially slipping before recovering slightly [3] - Gold prices rebounded by about 0.3% to $4,662.51 per ounce, while silver prices fell approximately 1.7% to $71.62 per ounce [4] M&A Activity - Unilever is in discussions with McCormick & Co. regarding a potential sale of its foods business, which could integrate Unilever brands like Marmite and Colman's with McCormick's Cholula hot sauce [4][5] - The outcome of these discussions remains uncertain, but it aligns with Unilever's strategy to focus on higher-growth beauty and personal care categories [5] Treasury Yields - Treasury yields increased, with the 10-year yield rising about 1.7 basis points to 4.3%, the 2-year yield up 3 basis points to 3.87%, and the 30-year yield edging up 1 basis point to 4.87% [7] Global Market Sentiment - Asian markets experienced mixed trading, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 1%, Shanghai slipping 1.2%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 losing 0.8%, while South Korea's Kospi and India's Sensex saw slight gains of 0.3% and 0.4% respectively [8] - European markets showed a positive trend, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 up about 0.9%, driven by gains in banking and construction shares [8]

Investors weren’t pleased with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday. - MarketWatch photo illustration/Getty Images, iStockphoto U.S. stocks slumped on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 wiping out its gains from earlier in the week, as investors reacted to the Federal Reserve’s latest outlook on interest rates and the economy. Wednesday’s Fed press briefing didn’t open up investors to what some felt was the worst-case scenario: That the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran, and the subsequent spike in ...

JOUMANNA: GOOD MORNING. THIS IS "HORIZONS MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA. " OUR TOP STORIES THIS MORNING. OIL STEADIES AFTER ITS BIGGEST DAILY GAIN SINCE OCTOBER FOLLOWING A REPORT THAT AMERICAN MILITARY INTERVENTION IRAN COULD COME SOONER THAN EXPECTED. THE FED SURPRISES MARKETS BY SHOWING WARINESS ABOUT CUTTING RATES AT ITS JANUARY MEETING WITH OFFICIALS CONSIDERING HIKES. OPENAI NEARS A MASSIVE FUNDING ROUND THAT MAY EXCEED $100 BILLION. WE’RE BRING YOU OUR SCOOP. AND BEFORE WE JUST GET ON TO MARKETS, IT IS 9:00 ...

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Bitcoin rebounds near $110,000 as US–China accord counters ETF outflows, hawkish Fed: analysts https://t.co/0BW0GCjovz ...