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Technology stocks have returned to attractive levels for investors willing to play the long game after a pullback from last year’s record highs, according to veteran strategist Ed Yardeni.

The US service economy expanded in March at a slower pace as employment shrank by the most since 2023 and input prices accelerated sharply.

Bond traders ended the week betting that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady this year, on signs of a stabilizing US labor market and uncertainty about the economic impact of war in the Middle East.

US job growth rebounded in March and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market was stabilizing as the Iran war began.

Switzerland’s inflation rate jumped in March to the quickest pace in a year as the energy supply crunch caused by the war in the Middle East stoked the cost of heating oil.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG M.E.STUBENBÖCK: Das Chaos im Iran geht weiter - er wird die nächsten 2-3 Wochen den Iran weiter bombardieren (kein Ende des Krieges), die Blockade von der Straße von Hormus ist ein Problem der anderen, aber nicht von den USA, sie haben Öl (die USA wird die Straße nicht öffnen). #FAZIT M.E.STUBENBÖCK: Aus meiner Sicht, das große Inflationsrisiko für die Welt ist zurück.

Countries across Asia are jockeying for leverage and adopting splintering approaches as they respond to US President Donald Trump’s call to open the Strait of Hormuz by themselves, amid mounting economic disruptions.

Vessels wanting to transit the strategic waterway need to be from friendly countries, and some have to pay fees in Chinese currency or crypto before being escorted through the strait.

The Iran war has generated billions of dollars of additional oil revenues for Russia, but Moscow’s windfall extends well beyond crude to gas, grain, aluminum and fertilizers.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President Alberto Musalem said risks are rising to both inflation and employment, and officials should be prepared to adjust interest rates in either direction depending on how the economy evolves.

OpenAI has completed a deal to raise $122 billion from investors at an $852 billion valuation, marking the company’s largest funding round to date by far and bolstering its costly push for more chips, data centers and talent.

The euro area saw its steepest jump in inflation since 2022 as the Iran war pushed energy costs sharply higher, backing expectations that the European Central Bank will have to raise interest rates.

Die Inflation im März ist laut Schnellschätzung der Statistik Austria vom Dienstag im Jahresvergleich auf 3,1 Prozent in die Höhe geschnellt. In der März-Inflation schlagen sich erstmals die wirtschaftlichen Folgen des Iran-Krieges nieder. Im Vergleich, also vor Beginn des Krieges, lag die Teuerung dagegen noch bei 2,2 Prozent. Auch in der Euro-Zone sind die Auswirkungen bereits sichtbar. Das erhöht den Druck auf die EZB.

Der Bund hat das Vorjahr besser abgeschlossen als erwartet. Das gesamtstaatliche Defizit betrug 4,2 Prozent des BIP und lag damit unter dem vom Finanzministerium eingeplanten Wert von 4,5 Prozent. Diese von der Statistik Austria am Dienstag präsentierte Zahl ist besser als die 4,6 Prozent des Jahres 2024. Von der von der EU vorgegebenen Maastricht-Grenze von drei Prozent ist man aber weit entfernt. Für heuer strebt die Bundesregierung wieder ein Defizit von 4,2 Prozent an, doch die weltpolitische Lage bietet Unsicherheiten.

Donald Trump’s NATO allies are increasing resistance to getting involved in his Iran war, risking a deeper rupture in the already strained military bloc.

Die Inflation im März ist laut Schnellschätzung der Statistik Austria vom Dienstag im Jahresvergleich auf 3,1 Prozent in die Höhe geschnellt. In der März-Inflation schlagen sich erstmals die wirtschaftlichen Folgen des Iran-Krieges nieder. Im Vergleich, also vor Beginn des Krieges, lag die Teuerung dagegen noch bei 2,2 Prozent. Auch in der Euro-Zone sind die Auswirkungen bereits sichtbar. Das erhöht den Druck auf die EZB.

European Central Bank Governing Council member Madis Muller said he can’t exclude an increase in borrowing costs at next month’s policy meeting should the Iran war keep oil and natural gas prices elevated.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US may need to reassess its relationship with NATO after the Iran war is finished, calling the military alliance’s alleged lack of support during the Middle East conflict “very disappointing.”

One thing that’s helped to limit the damage in oil markets since the Iran war largely shuttered the Strait of Hormuz is the availability of an alternative route for getting crude from Saudi Arabia to Asia: the Red Sea.

The European Central Bank is prepared to act to rein in inflation expectations, though betting on dates for potential interest-rate hikes is premature, Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau told La Stampa.

German inflation accelerated sharply in March after the Iran war boosted energy costs, supporting the idea that the European Central Bank will have to raise interest rates.

Donald Trump’s willingness to attack adversaries while rattling allies is threatening to push the world into a new nuclear age.

BYD Co.’s profit tumbled more than analysts anticipated as relentless competition and tighter regulation in China ramped up pressure on the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker to reignite stalling momentum.

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said policymakers are well positioned to hold interest rates steady, as conflict in the Middle East and other factors complicate their ability to nudge inflation toward the 2% target.

Bond traders, spooked by the prospect of the conflict in Iran escalating further, are looking to hedge against worst-case war outcomes that could force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in coming weeks.

President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until April 6, saying that talks are “going very well” on a deal between Washington and Tehran.

Wintertime ice shrank to a record-low level for the second year running, a sign of how climate change is reshaping the region.

US President Donald Trump sent conflicting signals on the prospect that talks with Iran would bring a halt to the nearly month-long war, further roiling global energy markets.