Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Public Markets Briefing (Past3 Hours)
Energy & Commodities
Oil futures dropped 1.3% bloomberg.com in early Asian trade after OPEC+ signaled potential output increases, while gold held near $2,340 wsj.com as a weakening dollar offset risk-on sentiment. A surge in aluminum prices bloomberg.com pushed China Hongqiao's Zhang Bo past the $48 billion mark, cementing his position among Asia's wealthiest industrialists. Meanwhile, world governments stepped up efforts bloomberg.com to calm energy markets as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz showed no sign of ending, and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. asked onshore partners to collect Murban crude bloomberg.com from the port of Jebel Dhanna behind the strait. The IEA countries are set to decide wsj.com Wednesday whether to release oil reserves to ease market pressure.
Fixed Income
Japanese government bonds extended gains bloomberg.com tracking overnight Treasury rallies as traders increasingly price in a September Fed rate cut. U.S. airline bonds weakened bloomberg.com after jet fuel costs spiked 8% on Middle East supply fears, and Chicago's planned muni bond sale bloomberg.com is testing investor appetite amid geopolitical uncertainty. Hedge funds of Asia-based managers including Dymon Asia Capital, Modular Asset Management and Alpine Investment Management Ltd. managed to hold onto this year’s gains bloomberg.com despite market volatility.
Corporate Earnings & Strategy
German arms group Rheinmetall expected sales to jump by as much as 45% wsj.com this year as Europe continues to rearm and the company broadens its air-defense portfolio. Porsche expected further earnings hit wsj.com due to tariffs and battery costs, booking one-off costs of around $4.53 billion in 2025. Zara parent Inditex reported accelerated sales growth wsj.com despite Middle East disruption. Harmony Gold Mining Co. produced its first copper bloomberg.com during its fiscal first half as the firm expands into the metal key to the energy transition, and the miner doubled its interim dividend wsj.com as gold prices drove earnings higher.
Financial Markets Activity
UBS Group AG’s global entrepreneur clients bet artificial intelligence offers the biggest opportunities bloomberg.com over the next five years, a contrast to industries viewing it as a threat. Amazon.com Inc. made its debut in the euro bond market bloomberg.com with a record eight-part sale aiming to raise around €10 billion ($11.6 for AI investments. Legal & General Group Plc planned to buy back £1.2 billion bloomberg.com of its shares as profits climbed. The Italian banks Monte Paschi and Mediobanca reached a merger deal wsj.com expected to complete by year-end. Flipkart Internet Pvt set to start the formal process for banks to pitch for IPO work bloomberg.com in April. Adani Energy raised $500 million through a bond privately placed bloomberg.com with Apollo Global Management Inc. The ECB's Kazimir suggested the Iran war could force rate hikes sooner bloomberg.com. The Pound rose as oil pressures eased bloomberg.com.