Public Markets 8 Hours

Last updated: September 13, 2026, 10:34 PM ET

Energy & Commodities

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade as Middle East frictions fueled geopolitical risk premiums, reinforcing the case for further rate hikes. Crude advanced further after Saudi Arabia shut a major crude pipeline following attacks, disrupting a route used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Iran war and deepening a global energy crunch. The supply squeeze has intensified as a Houthi offensive in Yemen placed a second vital energy corridor under the sway of Iran and its allies. Prices jumped sharply and stock futures fell slightly on concerns that Persian Gulf energy supplies would be further diminished by a drone attack on a critical Saudi pipeline.

Middle East Diplomacy

A planned Monday meeting 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 stemmed from a lack of consensus and sets back 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.

LNG & Asian Energy Costs

The loss of a fifth of liquefied natural gas supply due to the US-Iran war is blowing out costs for Asia's developing markets, forcing a rethink of the fuel's long-term future in the region after a $7 billion gas bill spike. President Trump called on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, saying the attacks — not his war in Iran — are responsible for diesel hitting record highs. Trump blamed Ukraine for the global diesel shortage, saying its attacks on Russian refineries were "hurting the world" amid a global energy shock driven primarily by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

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. Japanese stocks dropped 1.6% in early trade, dragged by chip and metals shares as uncertainty over the Iran war and the Fed policy outlook persisted. The bond selloff has driven a key Treasury yield to the verge of 5%, worsening angst from Wall Street to Washington about higher borrowing costs hitting the US economy.

Precious Metals

Gold edged lower after hotter-than-expected US inflation data raised prospects that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates later this week. The metal slipped in Asian trade as US core inflation data likely strengthened the case for the Fed to raise its benchmark rate at its meeting this week, according to CBA.

Deals & Corporate

Michael Dell's family office is nearing a deal to take insurance broker Baldwin Group private for $4.1bn, with DFO Management in advanced talks as the historically fragmented industry undergoes a wave of consolidation. Dutch start-up Fortaegis raised $50mn in a funding round for encrypted silicon technology, claiming it can create ultra-secure computer networks by harnessing the unique digital fingerprint of chips. Amazon paused operations with 21 Air after a Miami cargo plane crash, putting a spotlight on the carrier and its owner Jim Crane, the logistics magnate and Houston Astros owner.

China & Tax Policy

Haidilao International Holding's sudden slump after its co-founder sold about $350 million worth of shares is putting the spotlight on other stocks vulnerable to similar selling amid a broader tax clampdown. The enforcement push has raised fears of further founder share disposals across Chinese listed companies.

AI & Technology Policy

President Trump rejected calls from technology leaders for an AI slowdown, denouncing demands for regulation as existential fears over the technology moved to the center 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 explore how the technology can be used for good. Vandalism against food-delivery robots won't slow the technology down, even as a backlash against automation intensifies.

Trade Policy

President Trump promised to lift tariffs on Irish whiskey after appeals, announcing the decision while visiting his golf course in Ireland in the latest shift in his trade policies. Trump pledged to rescind the 10% tariff on Irish whiskey, closing out his weekend visit to Ireland at the Irish Open golf tournament.

Pharmaceuticals

The Trump administration's push to bring US drug spending down is a powerful incentive for pharmaceutical companies to boost prices and reduce access elsewhere in the world, according to a new study.

Geopolitics

David Petraeus was at a rail station when a Russian drone hit near the Polish border. Another train carrying former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other dignitaries had just left, Ukrainian officials said. Voters in a predominantly Muslim autonomous region of the Philippines began casting ballots in the area's first-ever parliamentary election, more than a decade after a peace deal with separatists ended decades of conflict.

Public Health & Culture

An unvaccinated woman likely died of measles complications in Pennsylvania, the third reported death linked to a rapidly expanding outbreak that has sickened more than 670 people in the state. Celine Dion began her Paris comeback concert run after six years away, a return that highlighted a side of the French-speaking superstar rarely seen in the United States. The Kennedy Center warned of bankruptcy unless President Trump's name is added to the building, according to a draft resolution to the center's board, as a federal judge decides whether the name should remain off the facility.