Oil spikes while stocks slip ahead of US Fed rate decision Oil prices jumped as fears grew that the Strait of Hormuz could stay blocked. LONDON: Oil prices shot higher Wednesday (Apr 29) on concerns of an extended blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while Wall Street stocks mostly slid as investors awaited a US Fed rate decision and a slew of tech firm earnings. Both main oil contracts jumped nearly six per cent after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Wednesday that it should "get smart soon" and capitulate to Washington's demands for tight controls on its nuclear programme, as a US naval blockade turned the screws on Iran's economy. Meanwhile, the United States could extend its naval blockade of Iran for months more, oil executives were told in a meeting with US President Donald Trump, an administration official said. Analysts warned that such a move would prompt Iran to maintain its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the vital oil shipping route at a near standstill. The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged later in the day, with markets closely watching its guidance on inflation as energy costs soar. The dollar drifted higher against its main peers. "The longer the conflict persists and the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, the more pronounced the inflationary pressures are likely to become," said Anna Macdonald, investment strategy director at Hargreaves Lansdown. International benchmark oil contract Brent crude for June delivery rose to US$117.81 a barrel, its highest level since the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran came into effect. "The market is increasingly shifting towards a view that no longer expects a quick and lasting peace, nor an immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz," said Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management. Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading platform XTB, warned "This is a new phase of the war in Iran, and we could now see oil prices go back to the March highs around US$120 per barrel for Brent." With talks to end the Middle East war appearing to be at a standstill, investors' attention turned to earnings updates. Wall Street's main stock indices were mostly lower in late morning trade. "As with other financial markets, investors appear to be happy to sit on their hands ahead of tonight's monetary policy announcement from the Federal Reserve's FOMC, and as four constituents of the 'Magnificent Seven' prepare to release their latest earnings updates after the close," said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation. Investors will be paying particular attention to spending on artificial intelligence by Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft - and whether it is translating into revenue. "Given the outsized weighting of these companies in the index, and the enormous capital expenditure they have announced to build AI capabilities, these results will be closely watched by investors," Hargreaves Lansdown's Macdonald added. Tech stocks took a hit on Tuesday following a report in the Wall Street Journal that ChatGPT-maker OpenAI had missed targets on user numbers and revenue. Stock markets in London, Paris and Frankfurt finished in the red, despite some major companies spiking on strong earnings reports. Shares in Swiss banking giant UBS jumped more than three per cent as its net profit rose 80 per cent in the first quarter, beating expectations. Strong quarterly profit growth led shares in German sportswear giant Adidas to jump more than eight per cent in Frankfurt. After a weak lead from Wall Street, Asian stock markets mostly rose Wednesday, with Hong Kong up more than one per cent.
Oil spikes while stocks slip ahead of US Fed rate decision Oil prices jumped as fears grew that the Strait of Hormuz could stay blocked. LONDON: Oil prices shot higher Wednesday (Apr 29) on concerns of an extended blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while Wall Street stocks mostly …
See this event through different lenses
Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.
Compare PerspectivesLoading notes...
International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.