Public Markets 24 Hours

Last updated: September 13, 2026, 10:22 PM ET

Energy & Commodities

Oil prices jumped and US stock futures fell slightly on concerns that energy supplies from the Persian Gulf would be further diminished by a drone attack on a critical pipeline in Saudi Arabia. Crude advanced after Saudi Arabia shut a major crude pipeline following attacks, disrupting a route that has been used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Iran war and deepening a global energy crunch.

Geopolitics & Shipping

A planned meeting for Monday between Iran and several Gulf nations on creating a temporary shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed, according to Oman's foreign minister. The delay to the crunch meeting, set back because of a lack of consensus, undermines efforts to restore shipping through the vital waterway. Talks between the United States and Iran hit a dead end weeks ago, leaving Arab countries struggling to manage their ties to Tehran amid ongoing attacks. Opponents of the agreement derailed it with a clandestine effort to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, regime insiders say, and Iran's president was furious when he found out.

Equities & Rates

US equity futures fell and oil advanced as investors weighed renewed concerns over the pace of AI development against hotter-than-expected US inflation that bolstered bets the Federal Reserve may raise rates. The bond selloff has driven a key Treasury yield to the verge of 5%, worsening angst from Wall Street to Washington about the higher borrowing costs hitting the US economy. Investors looking to hedge as the equity rally stalls in the face of rising interest rates and oil prices are split between protecting against a fast selloff or a slow grind lower. Rising bond yields and soaring oil prices have many Wall Street pros looking back a few decades to the volatile period before the dot-com crash, but that doesn't mean they're encouraging investors to abandon stocks.

Emerging Markets

Emerging markets have defied war, $100 oil and rising Treasury yields this year, and despite worries of a US interest-rate hike, investors see reasons for this year's rally to keep going. Senegal raised 101 billion CFA francs ($179 million) in a government securities auction on Friday, its first sale since announcing plans to seek a reworking of its external debt.

Deals & Private Equity

Michael Dell's family office DFO Management is in advanced talks to take insurance broker Baldwin Group private in a $4.1bn deal, as the historically fragmented industry undergoes a wave of consolidation. CVC faces a shareholder revolt over its €10.7bn Recordati take-private, with investors accusing the private equity group of pressuring them into selling at a "lowball" price. Returns from funds launched during the frenzied period of 2019 to 2021 are likely to struggle to meet expectations, executives warn.

Corporate & Industrial

GE Health Care is in talks over a $1bn deal for Sofie Biosciences, a maker of cancer scan chemicals, in the medical imaging specialist's second big purchase since its split from General Electric. PwC is shaking up its Indian operations as the AI threat looms over consulting, with the Big Four firm's US and Indian units to pool outsourcing and advisory operations in a 40,000-person joint venture. The Indian banking regulator's refusal to exempt Tata Sons from a public listing rule comes as an unexpected blow for group patriarch Noel Tata, who is already struggling to address leadership uncertainty.

AI & Technology Policy

President Trump rejected calls from tech bosses for an AI slowdown, denouncing demands for regulation as existential fears over the technology move to the centre of US politics. King Charles will convene AI leaders in Scotland amid mounting alarm from the highest echelons of AI companies, with Buckingham Palace saying the monarch would meet executives to explore how the technology can be used for good. Former President Obama urged Democrats to move AI oversight to the center of their agenda, warning during a private fund-raiser that the technology could be "dangerous" if not managed urgently.

AI & Washington

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned on Sunday of competitive risks from China, and Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader, said Congress should start regulatory talks this week, even as top lawmakers agreed AI's risks are rising but conceded they have no quick fix. President Trump has been at the forefront of the "what-me-worry?" crowd, refusing to engage on how to balance the risks and rewards of AI. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's 3,800-word letter laid out a three-step plan to rein in artificial intelligence. Amodei created the AI lab to be protected from the very threat it is now facing. In a separate note, Anthropic's Amodei made urgent calls for an AI development slowdown, while Tesla gains ground in the US and retirement to a low-tax state draws fresh attention.

Ukraine & Diesel

President Trump called on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, saying the attacks — and not his war in Iran — are responsible for diesel hitting record highs. Trump said Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries were "hurting the world," amid a global energy shock driven primarily by the US-Israeli war with Iran. Trump also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has to stop striking Russia's diesel fuel refineries because it's "hurting the world". The locomotive of a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw was hit by a Russian drone just kilometers from the Polish border on Sunday morning, Ukraine's foreign minister said, as Moscow's air campaign intensifies. Jet-powered Geran-5 drones prove the Kremlin's military is also capable of innovation.

Trade & Policy

President Trump pledged to rescind a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey, closing out his weekend visit to Ireland by making the announcement at the Irish Open golf tournament. Pfizer has made an unusual enemy in a $2bn fight over unwanted Covid-19 vaccines, targeting air-traffic fees in a dispute with Poland and Romania.

Energy Infrastructure

President Trump's vision of Alaska as an LNG superpower confronts an $80bn test, with Alaska LNG and Polar LNG facing a series of financing, logistical and legal hurdles to tap massive gasfields. The Autonomous Bougainville Government vowed to take action after alleged arson destroyed equipment at a giant Papua New Guinea copper mine that recently began efforts to restart almost 40 years after operations halted.

Data Centres & AI Infrastructure

US-listed Equinix faces a challenge over its South African hyperscale data centre, with campaigners wanting project approval overturned as the rapid AI infrastructure build-out puts focus on power and water supplies. GP data has been quietly added to Palantir's NHS data platform, a pilot marking a significant expansion of the controversial software beyond its current use in hospitals.

Venture & Space

Low-profile venture capital firm Vy Capital has emerged as one of SpaceX's largest shareholders, building a $40bn stake in the rocket maker. Self-driving cars could transform urban transport, if they can win public trust, as London's robotaxi revolution begins with Uber and Wayve.

Defence & Industrials

German military start-up ARX Robotics wants to "access industry muscle we already have" from carmakers to meet soaring demand for unmanned military vehicles as Europe re-arms. Light Helmets is using "guerrilla tactics" to shake up the football helmet business, circumventing locker-room gatekeepers and making endorsement deals in a bid for visibility.

Sports & Media

More NFL games are moving beyond Sunday afternoon, leaving YouTube and its subscribers paying more for a shrinking package as Sunday Ticket gets smaller without getting cheaper. Sunderland football club is looking to US post-industrial peers in a bid to lift revenue, with the Premier League team targeting new fans in cities where its heritage resonates as tougher financial rules increase pressure to boost revenue. Private equity plans to put the swing back into Japan's golf tour, with NSSK founder Jun Tsusaka wanting to emulate the success of the US PGA.

Consumer & Culture

Journaling, sudoku, puzzle books and other non-digital pursuits are staging a comeback, forming an anti-AI portfolio alongside fountain pens, Warhammer and film cameras. Vandalism against food-delivery robots isn't going to slow the technology down, even as the AI Luddites arrive. When nonprofit leaders criticize capitalism, they undermine the very system that funds them. Workers who forgo the traditional career path find there are rewards and challenges to going out on their own.

Media & Entertainment

The demands of streaming, which is now how most viewers watch TV, are not suited to just plain old comedy, as TV comedies face a decline. They set out to celebrate the power and prestige of an industry that spanned MTV, HBO and Nickelodeon, but now, as cable's fortunes have waned, the institution is changing too. "The Pitt" could make history at Monday night's celebration of the best in TV, while "Widow's Bay" and "Hacks" battle it out in the best comedy race. Celine Dion's long-awaited concert return in Paris highlighted a side of the French-speaking superstar rarely seen in the United States.

Health & Society

An unvaccinated woman likely died of measles complications, a Pennsylvania county coroner said, the third reported death linked to a rapidly expanding outbreak that has sickened more than 670 people in the state. Survivors in Nepal are telling the stories of the people and places buried under the mud after a disaster along the Himalayan floods' path.

US Politics & Governance

A judge ruled that the Homeland Security plan to cut FEMA staff in half is unlawful, saying the plan would hinder the agency's ability to respond to disasters. Lonnie G. Bunch III, who has led the Smithsonian since 2019, parried the White House until deciding it was time to go, prompting the question of whether Trump won the battle over the institution. With Bunch stepping down as the Smithsonian's secretary, President Trump will have his best chance to control the institution.

Midterms & Campaigns

A generation shaped by the pandemic and rising prices has helped drive an emergence of Democratic candidates who say they are as fed up as voters are, fueling a populist movement fueled by anger at both parties. Inflation and the cost of living have been the biggest drivers of campaigns this year, but the broad term "affordability" breaks down into specific issues, from housing to health care. The midterms dodged their first MAGA bullet after a Missouri redistricting crisis was averted by a court, but it won't be the last. Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for Senate in a decidedly Republican-leaning Florida, has been a fighter and an underdog for years. Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general now running for the US Senate, was accused of abusing the power of his office to protect a campaign donor but was acquitted on all counts.

Workplace & Management

Every word one employee writes reeks of AI, raising questions about managing AI use in workplace communication, plus how to stop office talk about a colleague's cancer diagnosis before it starts. Four top headhunters reveal what boards are looking for now and the role of AI in how to find a leader in 2026. British businesses can submit a question on what they need from the Budget in a live Ask an Expert Q&A with John Gapper, the FT's chief UK business columnist, on Thursday September 17 at 1pm BST.

Wealth & Personal Finance

Chip Wilson doesn't have a prenuptial agreement, and without one, in Canada, assets are generally split in half — a divorce that raises questions about the Lululemon founder's fortune.

The Long Read

A man with a vision set out to revolutionize preschool, but it became a $440 million fiasco inside the collapse of Guidepost Montessori. A secret archaeological dig inside a Dutch church has led to drama worthy of Alexandre Dumas, as one man's quest for a musketeer's bones got him locked up. Social marginalization means something different today, as Ella Langley, "Landman" and a rural vibe shift take hold. Many are complaining about influencers invading Flushing Meadows, but their biggest crime is distracting from the glorious chaos that typifies the US Open. We take a look at what's cool on campus in the college catwalk.