Global markets face volatility amid oil surge and US-Iran tensions

Global financial markets are facing volatility driven by rising crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. Brent crude futures rose as much as 3% to $107.16 a barrel, following US President Donald Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz. This energy price surge, combined with rising bond yields, has heightened concerns that central banks may maintain higher interest rates for longer to combat potential inflationary pressures.

In the technology sector, investors are closely monitoring AI-related stocks. Anthropic is reportedly targeting a valuation of more than $2 trillion in a potential public offering. Meanwhile, chipmakers such as Marvell Technology, Micron Technology, and Broadcom saw gains in premarket trading, and Nvidia rose following a record $150 billion share buyback authorization. Market participants are also awaiting remarks from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during the company’s DevDay event.