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US equity markets booked modest declines amid growing doubts that the U.S. and Iran will come to a lasting resolution to the conflict in the near term and as investors eyed key economic data releases later in the week  – Dow slipped -61-points or -0.11%. Nvidia Corp fell -2.86% to be the worst performer in the 30 stock index. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that a group of financial firms, including Apollo Global and Blackstone is working with Nvidia to put together a US$500B funding package for AI infrastructure development. Chevron Corp rallied +4.48% s oil prices jumped.

US Equity markets rallied on Friday to cap a strong week as weaker than expected jobs data tempered expectations of rate hikes. Dow up 152 points or 0.3 of a percent. Salesforce up 3.2% while Honeywell Technologies and Nvidia both climbed 2.3%. Broader S&P 500 with a 0.6 of a percent gain

All three major US equity indices retreated overnight, with the Dow Jones snapping a five-session winning streak, as investors paused to consolidate gains following a strong rally that had propelled markets to fresh record highs. Dow fell 464.02-points or -0.85%. The Walt Disney Company (+2.87%), Microsoft Corporation (+2.54%) and Chevron Corp (+1.51%) were among the leading performers in the 30-stock index. Boeing Co (-3.33%), Salesforce Inc (-3.22%), Honeywell Technologies Inc (-2.97%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-2.62%) all fell over >2.5%.

US equity markets rallied strongly, lifting both the Dow and S&P 500 to record closing highs – Dow climbed +907-points or +1.71% to a fresh record closing high of 26,584.99, with Cisco Systems Inc (+5.08%) and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (+3.91%) among the leading performers in the 30-stock index.

US equity markets opened August with strong gains as signs of de-escalating tensions in the Middle East dragged crude prices sharply lower ahead of another busy week on the corporate earnings calendar  – Dow rallied +693-points or +1.32% to a fresh record closing high of 53,178.41. Boeing Co jumped +8.03% after the aerospace and defence company cleared an important regulatory hurdle, with the Federal Aviation Administration clearing for commercial service the smallest of the 737 Max planes, the 737 Max 7. The news bodes well for the eventual certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10, with that aircraft completing final tests last month. ‘Magnificent Seven' mega capitalisation technology stocks continued to trade strongly, with Microsoft Corp climbing +4.93% to book its best three-day performance in 26 years (+23.46%) and turn positive for the calendar year-to-date (+0.83%) following the company's second quarter result after the closing bell last Wednesday (29 August). Amazon.com Inc rose +4.58% to a fresh record closing high of US$284.02, with the company's market capitalisation climbing above >US$3 trillion for the first time.

US equity markets rebounded strongly from a sharp sell-off a day earlier following the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting, with a broader pivot back to risk – Dow +614-points or +1.19% a day after booking worst one-day decline since April 2025. Microsoft Corp soared +15.51% to book its biggest daily percentage gain in 18-years, adding +US$450B to its market capitalisation after management of the ‘Magnificent Seven' mega-capitalisation technology stock forecast an acceleration in cloud growth for the current quarter after close of the previous session. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rallied +4.5%, while Boeing Co (+3.22%) and Caterpillar Inc (+3.38%) rose over >3%. However, Salesforce Inc -4.07%, snapping a four-session losing streak amid a broader sell-off for software stocks following a recent resurgence.The broader S&P500 +1.66%, with Information Technology (up +5.24%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Communication Services (down -2.52%) and Consumer Staples (-2.24%) fell over >2%.

US equity markets mixed to open the busiest week of the second quarter corporate earnings season (with 177 S&P 500 companies slated to report, including nine Dow components), with oil prices dropping sharply following reports of a ceasefire between the US and Iran while semiconductor stocks remained under pressure – Dow rose +263-points or +0.51%. Salesforce Inc (up 6.07%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Apple Inc – which releases its second quarter result on Thursday night AEST (30 July) - rose +1.17% to a record closing high of US$336.91 and touched a record intra-day high (US$339.57), usurping NVIDIA Corp (down -4.99%) as the largest company by market capitalisation. Apple last held the top spot at the close on 2 May, 2025. NVIDIA fell following a WSJ report that it is in talks with OpenAI to guarantee US$250B in financing for a massive Ohio data centre project, raising concerns in some quarters around circular funding.Reuters reported that Iran would pause military attacks if the U.S. continued its own pause, albeit Tehran denied the reports. Separately, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over the weekend reported that President Trump called off an escalation of the conflict. Meanwhile, President Trump told reporters while aboard Air Force One that Washington was having "good talks" with Iran and there was a chance of a peace deal, but warned ⁠U.S. strikes would resume if the negotiations failed to deliver.

US equity markets fell sharply as oil prices continued to soar and mega cap technology names sold off amid concerns around the level of AI spending. Dow down 507 points or almost 1%. Google parent Alphabet down 6.9% after posting its second quarter result after the close of the previous session and reporting negative cash flow of 5.9 billion.

US equity markets rallied, snapping a three-session losing streak as semiconductor stocks rebounded strongly and as strong earnings releases also shifted some investor focus away from the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East that continued to drive oil prices higher – Dow gained +385-points or +0.74%. UnitedHealth Group Inc (+3.51%), Caterpillar Inc (+2.97%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2.89%) all traded particularly strongly. Boeing Co (down -2.23%) and Salesforce Inc (-2.15%) fell over >2%.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and President Trump agreed to accelerate trade talks ahead of a potential US move to impose 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods next month. Mr Carney's comments came after the Trump administration said after the close of the previous session that it would slap 50% tariffs on some goods imported from Canada, in an effort to end what it sees as discriminatory trade practices by Ottawa against the U.S. automobile, dairy and alcohol industries

US equity markets weaker with fresh falls for chip makers overshadowing generally upbeat economic data, down 106 points or 0.2%. Alphabet, Caterpillar and Goldman Sachs all dropping over 4%. On the upside, Nike rallied 4.2%, while Amgen, IBN, McDonald's, Merck & Co, and Salesforce all rallied over 3%.

US equity markets firmer as investors digested another round of second quarter corporate earnings releases and weaker-than-expected wholesale inflation figures  – Dow added +150-points or +0.29%, with the four (4) members of the ‘Magnificent Seven' cohort of mega-capitalisation stocks that sit in the 30-stock index – Apple Inc (up +4.01%), Amazon.com Inc (+3.02%), Microsoft Corp (+2.78%) and Nvidia Corp (+0.33%) – all advancing. Cisco Systems Inc (down -4.54%) was the worst performing Dow component overnight.The broader S&P500 rose +0.38%, with Communication Services rallying +2.78% to lead five of the eleven primary sectors higher. Google parent Alphabet Inc gained +3.17%. Utilities (down -0.98%) and Energy (-0.77%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard. PayPal Inc soared +17.20% to US$55.52 and paced gains in the S&P500 after Reuters reported that payments firm Stripe and private equity company Advent offered to buy the digital payments giant for US$53B or US$60.50 per share earlier this month.  

US equity markets logged modest gains as investors balanced rising US Iran tensions against cooler than expected June inflation data and a wave of major bank earnings. Dow edged 10 points higher as investors digested second quarter results from a number of components. Broader S&P 500 adding 0.4 of a percent.

US equity markets retreated and oil prices and bond yields jumped after President Trump said the U.S. was reinstating a blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting inflation fears and dampening risk appetite – Dow lost -138-points or -0.26%, with Nvidia Corp (down -3.52%) and Boeing Co (-3.05%) falling over >3%.

US equity markets advanced on Friday (10 July), with the S&P 500 closing in on fresh record highs ahead of the second quarter earnings season kicking into gear this week – Dow climbed +150-points or +0.29%. Nike Inc rallied +3.72%, while International Business Machines (IBM) Corp fell -2.62%The broader S&P500 rose +0.42% to 7,575.39, settling 0.42% below its 2 June record closing high (7,609.78). Materials (up +1.12%) and Communication Services (+0.92%) led ten of the eleven primary sectors higher.  Meta Platforms Inc (up +5.97%) the leading performer in the S&P 500 on Friday (10 July) and climbing to its highest level since April. Health Care fell -0.81%, with Moderna Inc slumping -10.83% to US$68.27and booking its worst week since August 2025 (down -14.41%) after a strong rally earlier in the month that lifted the vaccine manufacturer above >US$85 per share.

US equity markets weaker after President Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was over, sending oil prices soaring to three-week highs. Dow down 577 points, or 1.1%. American Express and sherwin-williams Co. falling over 3%.On the upside, Nvidia Corp up 3.7%, leading performer in the 30 stock index after the Information reported that China will allow top AI companies including Alibaba, ByteDance and DeepSeq to buy a limited amount of Nvidia's H200 chips. 

US equity markets advanced after resuming trading following the Independence Day long weekend, led by a fresh rally for artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks – Dow added +156-points or +0.29% to 53,055.91, booking its first close above >53,000 and 21st record closing high of 2026. It has been just four trading days since the index first closed above 52,000, marking the fastest 1,000 point milestone on record.  Boeing Co (up +3.55%), International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (+3.45%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+3.36%) all rallied over >3%. Amgen Inc (down -2.06%), Home Depot Inc (-2.03%) and Merck & Co Inc (-2.15%) declined over >2%. Microsoft Corp announcing it ​would cut ~4,800 jobs or ~2.1% of its global workforce.

US equity and bond markets were CLOSED on Friday (3 July) for Independence DayU.S. stocks have delivered an 8.7% annualized return over the past 250 years, with gross domestic product (GDP) averaging 6% and annual inflation at 2.5%, according to analysis by Bank of America to mark the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. US 10-year Treasury bonds have delivered a 5.1% average annualised return over the same timeframe.

US equity markets weaker to open the new second half of the calendar year.Dow dipped -14-points or 0.03% after booking back-to-back record closing highs and just failing to secure its 20th record closing high of the year.  

US equity markets weaker on Friday (26 June) amid steep declines among artificial intelligence (AI)-related semiconductor stocks  – Dow slipped -44-points or 0.09%. Caterpillar Inc fell -5.63%, while Cisco Systems Inc (-4.37%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-4.27%) fell over >4%.

US equity markets weaker as technology stocks came under fresh pressure and as investors eyed key inflation figures tonight AEST – Dow rose +182-points or +0.35%, with Home Depot Inc (up 5.67%) the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Chevron Corp shed -2.57% as crude prices tumbled.  The broader S&P500 slipped -0.10%, with Energy (down -1.73%) leading five of the eleven primary sectors lower. Information Technology (-0.64%%) and Communication Services (-0.61%) both fell ~0.60%. Industrials (up +1.18%) and Utilities (+1.05%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard.

US equity markets declined amid a deepening sell-off in technology stocks that spilled over into memory and chip stocks– Dow dipped -46-points or -0.09%. Nvidia Corp (down -4.13%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index. Caterpillar Inc fell -3.72%, unwinding the stock's +3.72% in the previous session.

US equity markets rallied sharply ahead of the holiday long weekend, underpinned by fresh gains for semiconductor stocks and as investors shrugged off concerns around rising interest rates following the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting  – Dow added +72-points or +0.14%, with Caterpillar Inc (up +3.13%) the leading performer in the 30-stock index. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp lost -5.05%. Salesforce Inc fell -2.09% to extend the client relationship management software company's losing streak into a 13th consecutive session.

US equity markets fell sharply as investors digested the latest monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve – Dow lost -507-points or -0.98% to 51,492.55 after logging two consecutive record closing highs. The 30-stock index did hit a fresh record intra-day high (52,281.19) for a third day running earlier in the session after rising ~0.5% in early trading. Salesforce Inc fell -4.14% to be the worst performer in the Dow overnight and recording its 12th straight session decline to extend its longest losing streak on record.  Amazon.com Inc (-3.46%), International Business Machines Corp (down -3.12%) and Microsoft Corp (-3.79%) all fell over >3%.

US equity markets closed mixed overnight– Dow rallied +329-points or +0.64% to a fresh record closing high of 51,999.67 after scaling a record intra-day peak of 52,190.29.

US equity markets steadied following a sharp sell-off last Friday ( 5 June) as Middle East headlines remained in focus and chip stocks rebounded from steep declines in the previous session  - Dow slipped -81-points or -0.16%. Travelers Companies Inc (down -2.15%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, while Cisco Systems Inc (+2.06%) was the leading Dow component overnight. Apple Inc's (down -1.89%) Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off overnight, with investors offering a tepid reception to the new Apple Intelligence system. Apple said that its new AI features won't be available in China while the company “works through regulatory requirements”. It marks Tim Cook's last WWDC as chief executive officer (CEO) as he prepares to hand over the reins to hardware chief John Ternus in September.

US equity markets firmer amid yet another bout of optimism around a resolution to the US-Iran conflict, while there was also a pivot from certain technology stocks into more defensive sectors  – Dow rallied +875-points or +1.73% to a record closing high of 51,561.93. UnitedHealth Group Inc rose +5.16% to be the leading Dow component, with analysts at Bank of America upgrading their recommendation in the health insurer to ‘Buy' and lifting their price target to US$450 (from US$420 previously), citing expectations of improving margins as a result of more favourable medical cost trends. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+4.96%) and Merck & Co Inc (+4.85%) also gained ~5%.

US equity markets retreated, breaking a five session stretch of record closing highs for the three benchmark indices as oil prices and bond yields climbed. Dow was down 621 points or 1.2%. IBM down 7.2% to be the worst performer in the 30 stock index. Honeywell and Salesforce both fell 5.1%, while all of American Express, Boeing, Microsoft, and Nvidia fell over 3%. On the upside, Amgen and Walmart both gained over 3%. US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said that Iranian drones unsuccessfully attempted to attack American forces in Kuwait.

The three (3) main US equity benchmarks opened the new week and month with fresh record closing highs despite a fresh jump in oil prices, with technology stocks (particularly software names) continuing to drive the gains – Dow inched +46-points or +0.09% higher to 51,078.88. Salesforce Inc (up +9.68%) and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (+7.60%) were the leading performer in the 30-stock index for a second session running. 

Benchmark US equity indices climbed and booked record highs after the U.S. and Iran agreed to extend their ceasefire, while investors also digested the latest U.S. inflation and revised economic growth figures – Dow added +25-points or +0.05% to a record closing peak of 50,668.97. Microsoft Corp +3.47% after news website The Information reported that the company would release a new coding model next ​week. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (+3.53%) and Nike Inc +3.02% also gained over >3%. Caterpillar Inc (down -2.45%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index.

The S&P500 and Nasdaq booked fresh record closing highs as equity and bond markets resumed trading following the Memorial Day long weekend, with a rally in memory-chip companies overshadowing fresh uncertainty around the Middle East peace negotiations – Dow eased -118-points or -0.23%. Chevron Corp (down -3.51%) and UnitedHealth Group Inc (-2.99%) were the worst performers in the 30-stock index. Caterpillar Inc rallied +3.26%.

US equity markets rallied on Friday (22 May) ahead of the holiday long weekend albeit finished off their best levels of the session – Dow rose +294-points or +0.58% to log a fresh record closing high of 50,579.70 for a second consecutive session after scaling a record intra-day peak (50,830.24). Merck & Co rallied +5.64% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index following a report by STAT News that its lung cancer treatment being developed with China-based Kelun-Biotech, sacituzumab tirumotecan, cut tumour progression risk by 65% and also yielded a survival benefit in a Phase 3 study conducted in China. The drug was used on patients in combination with Merck's Keytruda, the company's immunotherapy used to treat a wide variety of cancers. However, Nvidia Corp (down -1.9%) declined for a second session running following the release of its first quarter result after the close last Wednesday (20 May).

US equity markets advanced and shaped to cap another strong week ahead of the holiday long weekend despite heightened volatility – Dow gained +276-points or +0.55% to a record closing high of 50,285.66. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp soared +12.43% after the company said it would receive a US$1B CHIPS and Science Act award from the Commerce Department to build a quantum chip foundry. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. government will award US$2B in grants to nine firms operating in the quantum computing space, lifting a host of companies in the wider sector.  Nvidia Corp fell -1.77% despite the world's largest market capitalisation reporting better-than-expected headline numbers for the first quarter after the close of the previous session. Part of the drag on Nvidia's shares was attributed to investors seeking to build cash reserves ahead of pending initial public offerings (IPO) by SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic

US equity markets rallied as oil prices and Treasury yields fell sharply amid fresh optimism that the conflict in the Middle East could soon be resolved – Dow gained +645-points or +1.31%. Goldman Sachs Group Inc +5.75% was the leading performer in the 30-stock index, while Boeing Co (+3.34%) and Nike Inc (+4.17%) were among the leading components.

A fresh jump in bond yields weighed on US equity markets, with the S&P500 and Nasdaq booking a third straight session of declines – Dow lost -322-points or -0.65%. Cisco Systems Inc (down -2.94%) and Boeing Co (-2.54%) fell over >2.5%, while Amazon.com Inc (-2.08%) and 3M Co (-2.08%) fell over >2%. Walmart Inc (up +0.64% to US$134.20) set record intra-day (US$135.155) and closing highs, with the world's largest retailer skated to post its first quarter result on Thursday night AEST (21 May).

US equity markets weaker but pared earlier, steeper losses after President Trump said he wanted to give “serious negotiations” a chance, hours after threatening to resume bombing and hours after both the US and Iran dismissed each other's latest peace proposals – Dow added +160-points or +0.32%, with 3M Co (up +4.32%) the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Salesforce Inc (up +3.44) rallied over >3% for a second consecutive session. On the downside, Caterpillar Inc fell -2.74%. Nvidia Corp (down -1.33%), with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang conducting an interview with Bloomberg Television days after he joined President Trump's for a two-day summit in Beijing. Mr Huang said that his sense is that “over time the [China] market will open,” and noting that he didn't discuss directly with Chinese officials the company's effort to sell its H200 AI chips to customers in China. Nvidia is slated to post its first quarter result after the close of trading on Wednesday (20 May).

The S&P500 and Nasdaq ushered in May with fresh record intra-day and closing highs  – Dow eased -153-points or -0.31%, with Amgen Inc down -4.75% a day after the biotechnology stock posted stronger-than-expected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and revenue for the first quarter. 3M Co (-2.74%) McDonald's Corp (-2.37%) fell over >2%. Salesforce Inc rallied +4.13% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index on Friday (1 May).  Apple Inc +3.24% after the technology giant's first quarter result released after the close of the previous session topped Wall Street forecasts, thanks in part to strong sales of its iPhone 17.

The S&P500 and Nasdaq edged higher to fresh closing records despite U.S.-Iran peace ​talks stalling yet again and pushing oil prices higher – Dow eased -63-points or -0.13%. McDonald's Corp fell -3.06% to be the worst performer in the 30-stock index. Nvidia Corp pushed further into record territory, rallying +4% to US$216.61 after clinching its first new record close since 29 October last year last Friday (24 April) that lifted the chipmaking giant's market capitalisation back above >US$5 trillion. Nvidia extended its advance from a year-to-date low in late March to more than >30%.

US equity markets rallied, with unconfirmed reports that Iran has privately reached out to the US to discuss terms for ending their escalating conflict. However, Iran later denied a New York Times article that suggested operatives from its Ministry of Intelligence had reached out indirectly to the Central Intelligence Agence (CIA) with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict. According to Bloomberg, Iran's Tasnim News Agency cited a ministry source as saying that the New York Times report was "pure falsehood and psychological warfare" - Dow rose +238-points or +0.49%, snapping a three-session losing streak.  Amazon.com Inc gained +3.88% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Nvidia Corp rose +1.66%.

US equity markets settled mostly weaker on Friday (April) as investors eyed diplomatic talks over the weekend that were the highest level negotiations between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution and that sought to build on the two-week ceasefire negotiated last week – Dow lost -269-points or -0.56%. Nike Inc fell -3.14% and hit a 12-year low. The company announced chief innovation officer, Tony Bignell, was departing the company “to pursue his creative and philanthropic passions” less than a year after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elliot Hill installed him in the role.

The S&P500 and Nasdaq booked a seventh consecutive session of gains, reversing opening declines after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has given an instruction for Israel to begin talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah, which is also linked to Iran – Dow rose +276-points or +0.58% to 48,185.80, moving back into positive territory for the calendar year (up ~0.25%) and climbing above its 50-day moving average (48,021.73) for the first time since 26 February. 

US equity markets logged modest gains, climbing in the final hour of trading amid hopes that a proposal brokered by Pakistan may result in an eleventh-hour deal between the U.S. and Iran– Dow slipped -85-points or -0.18%, with Nike Inc (down -3% and trading at lows not seen since October 2014)

US equity markets opened the new week on the back foot following five consecutive weekly declines - Dow edged +50-points or +0.11% higher, with Salesforce Inc (up +3.19%) the leading component in the 30-stock index. However, Caterpillar Inc dropped -4.02% and Cisco Systems Inc -3.6%.President Trump said overnight on the Truth Social platform that the U.S. is “in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran.” That said, if the Strait of Hormuz is not “immediately” reopened and a peace deal is not reached “shortly,” the president threatened to “completely” obliterate the Middle Eastern country's energy infrastructure, including its oil wells as well as Kharg Island. President Trump had told the Financial Times earlier that he could “take the oil in Iran,” and seize the country's export hub of Kharg Island. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options,” he said. Asked about the state of Iranian defence on Kharg Island he said: "I don't think they have any defence. We could take it very easily."

US equity markets fell sharply for a second consecutive session on Friday (27 March) as oil prices continued to soar and act as the dominant driver of investor sentiment as the war in the Middle East entered its fifth week with no sign of a resolution - Dow dropped -793-points or -1.73% to 45,166.64, joining the Nasdaq in official correction territory after settling a touch over >10% below its 10 February record closing high (50,188.14).  Amazon.com Inc (down -3.95%), JPMorgan Chase & Co (-3.02%), Salesforce Inc (-3.41%), UnitedHealth Group Inc (-3.37%) and Visa Inc (-3.28%) all falling over >3%. Nvidia Corp fell -2.17% after being the worst performer in the 30-stock index a day earlier.

US equity markets fell sharply as investors digested the latest wholesale inflation figures, and the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy pronouncements and economic projections - Dow shed -768-points or -1.63% with Home Depot Inc (-3.08%), McDonald's Corp (-3.24%), Procter & Gamble Co (-3.15%) and Visa Inc (-3.06%) all dropping over >3%. A further 10 Dow components fell over >2%. Only two (2) components in the 30-stock index – Chevron Corp (up +0.32%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (+0.3%) – settled in positive territory.

US equity markets rallied as oil prices retreated amid fresh efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - Dow rose +392-points or +0.83%,,with Salesforce Inc (up +2.86%) the leading component in the 30-stock index. Nvidia Corp's (+1.65%) four-day GPU Technology Conference kicked off overnight with a keynote speech from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang, who said the semiconductor chipmaker expects to record $US1 trillion in AI chip sales through 2027. The company previously had said it expected chip sales to reach $US500 million by the end of 2026.President Trump that the White House will soon announce which countries have agreed to participate in a coalition to protect tankers in the Strait. But the president expressed frustration with countries who are not willing to join a coalition. “Some are very enthusiastic, and some are less than enthusiastic,” President Trump told reporters. “And I assume some will not do it. I think we have one or two that will not do it that we've been protecting for about 40 years at tens of billions of dollars.” Japan and France have already reportedly dismissed the prospect of sending vessels to help reopen Strait of Hormuz.

US equity markets retreated on Friday (13 March), logging fresh closing lows for the year and booking their third consecutive weekly decline as oil prices continued to climb and investors digested a busy economic calendar - Dow -119points or -0.26%, with Salesforce Inc (down -3.24%) the weakest index component.  Nvidia Corp (down -1.58%) hosts its GPU Technology Conference tonight AEST, where the AI chipmaker is expected to offer more details on its latest products. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang is slated to give a keynote addressThe broader S&P500 fell -0.61%, with Information Technology (down -1.29%) and Materials (-1.04%) declining over >1% to lead seven of the eleven primary sectors lower.

All three (3) major stock indexes erased their earlier gains to finish mostly lower in a volatile session on Tuesday.Dow fell 34.29-points or -0.07%.Notable stock moves included 3M CO (+2.39%), Cisco Systems Inc (+1.96%) and Caterpillar Inc (+1.68%) gaining over >1.5%.

US equity markets rallied, with unconfirmed reports that Iran has privately reached out to the US to discuss terms for ending their escalating conflict. However, Iran later denied a New York Times article that suggested operatives from its Ministry of Intelligence had reached out indirectly to the Central Intelligence Agence (CIA) with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict. According to Bloomberg, Iran's Tasnim News Agency cited a ministry source as saying that the New York Times report was "pure falsehood and psychological warfare" - Dow rose +238-points or +0.49%, snapping a three-session losing streak.  Amazon.com Inc gained +3.88% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Nvidia Corp rose +1.66%.

US equity markets steadied, reversing steep morning session losses - Dow slipped -73-points or -0.15%, paring an earlier decline of as much as 600-points. 3M Co (down -2.33%), Home Depot Inc (-2.6%) and Procter & Gamble Co (-2.21%) all fell over >2%. Nvidia Corp rose +2.99% and was the leading performer in the 30-stock index, arresting a two-day slide that saw the chipmaking giant drop over >9.5% despite. Microsoft Corp rose +1.48%. Apple Inc (+0.20%) kicked off a three-day stretch of new product announcements overnight unveiling its new iPhone 17e and a new iPad Air, refreshing its entry-level hardware offerings with updated chips to prepare for the rollout of new artificial-intelligence (AI) features later this year.

US equity markets retreated and booked their steepest monthly declines in a year, with financial and Information technology stocks under pressure and with investors eyeing US-Iran hostilities that are poised to drive crude prices sharply higher  - Dow lost 521-points or -1.05%.  American Express Co (down -7.88%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-7.47%) both dropped over >7%.  Apple Inc fell -3.21% ahead of the company kicking off its first product launches of the year this week, culminating in a “special Apple experience" event on Wednesday night AEST (4 March). Microsoft Corp -2.24%The U.S. and Israel launched a joint military strike on Iran on Saturday (28 February) called “Operation Epic Fury”, while U.S. President Trump called on Iranians to overthrow their government. President Trump said “we have hit hundreds of targets” in a new video statement on the strikes on Iran, adding that that US Strikes had eliminated Iranian Revolutionary Guard facilities, air defences, and naval assets, echoing his earlier comments. “Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei is dead. This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds, even thousands of Americans on his hands,” President Trump said in the video that was posted to Truth Social. “The entire military command is gone.”

US equity markets weaker as a strong results from Nvidia Corp and Salesforce after the close of the previous session weren't enough to bolster the broader market  - Dow inched +17-points or +0.03% higher Salesforce Inc - which has been one of the biggest victims of recent artificial intelligence (AI) disruption fears - gained +4.03% to pace gains in the 30-stock index a day after the customer service software maker reported healthy results for the fourth quarter, although its fiscal 2027 revenue forecast trailed Wall Street projections. However, Nvidia Corp shed -5.46% to book its largest single session decline since April last year despite reporting stronger-than-expected profit and revenue forecasts for the fourth quarter after the close of the previous session.