South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the nation’s 100 trillion won ($68.2 billion) market stabilization program on Thursday as Seoul grappled with historic volatility tied to the escalating conflict in Iran. The benchmark Kospi surged as much as 12% Thursday, the biggest intraday gain since October 2008, after sinking by about the same amount the day before in a roller coaster week li...
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the nation’s 100 trillion won ($68.2 billion) market stabilization program on Thursday as Seoul grappled with historic volatility tied to the escalating conflict in Iran. The benchmark Kospi surged as much as 12% Thursday, the biggest intraday gain since October 2008, after sinking by about the same amount the day before in a roller coaster week linked to a global selloff as Middle East tensions spurred a flight from risk assets. At a cabinet meeting, Lee instructed officials to manage the market stabilization program “appropriately and swiftly to rule out any instabilities in the money market.” Lee emphasized that the government would not intervene directly to support the stock markets. “We are not supporting the equity index directly,” he said. The fund “is to ensure to avoid temporary abnormalities, but not to force price adjustments.” The fund was deployed in 2022 during a debt crisis linked to South Korea’s Legoland development. It includes a credit market stabilization fund to support corporate bonds plus dedicated capital aimed to help ensure a soft landing for real estate project financing. While it remains in place during normal periods, authorities can expand it in times of stress. Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eog-weon said Thursday that the government would increase the fund’s size if necessary. Officials have repeatedly referenced the fund as a backstop following record losses in domestic equities this week. At one point, the won weakened to levels last seen during the global financial crisis. Still, President Lee said the stock market was moving toward normalization. “It’s about properly reforming the economic system and eliminating market unfairness,” Lee said. “Korea’s stock market being undervalued is a given fact, and it is going through a normalization process,” Lee added. READ MORE: SKorea’s Lee: Stock Market Correction Good to Boost Fundamentals
CoreDesignKEY/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The price actions of the West Texas (WTI) crude oil ( CL1:COM ) have staged the expected upside breakout from the minor bullish flag, as highlighted in our previous report. In addition, WTI crude broke above a 28-month major descending resistance from September 28, 2023 swing high, gapped up above $71.33 on Monday, March 2, 2026, triggered by jo...
CoreDesignKEY/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The price actions of the West Texas (WTI) crude oil ( CL1:COM ) have staged the expected upside breakout from the minor bullish flag, as highlighted in our previous report. In addition, WTI crude broke above a 28-month major descending resistance from September 28, 2023 swing high, gapped up above $71.33 on Monday, March 2, 2026, triggered by joint attacks by the US and Israel on Iran. So far, WTI crude has rallied by around 19% since the publication of our last report on February 26, to print a 14-month intraday high of $78.06 on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Below are several key support factors that oil prices can continue to see further potential upside despite US President Trump’s assurance to provide naval escorts for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil flow chokepoint, to prevent any significant oil supply shock triggered by potential Iranian sabotage on oil tankers. Rising odds on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran Fig. 1: Probability that Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz in 2026 as of March 5, 2026 (Source: Polymarket, MacroMicro) The Strait of Hormuz, situated between Oman and Iran, is a crucial maritime energy chokepoint, as it handles a quarter of the world's maritime oil trade and a fifth of the LNG trade, making it one of the most critical globally. Based on the latest data from the prediction market platform Polymarket as of today (Thursday), March 5, 2026, as compiled by MacroMicro the probability of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz in 2026 has increased to a current all-time high of 86.25%, surpassing the previous probability peak of 71.95% printed on March 1, 2026, during the onset of the latest US-Iran war (see Fig. 1). Since the start of the probability trend of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz in 2026, there has been a significant direct correlation with the movement of the WTI crude oil futures. Hence, a fresh all-time high in terms of the probability of the cl...
Raul_Mellado/iStock via Getty Images By Benjamin Schroeder , Senior Rates Strategist | Michiel Tukker , Senior European Rates Strategist Markets appear to catch their breath after tumultuous days After three days of market volatility, it appears markets are catching their breath again. While the situation in the Middle East remains uncertain, oil prices at least are not rising beyond prior peaks. ...
Raul_Mellado/iStock via Getty Images By Benjamin Schroeder , Senior Rates Strategist | Michiel Tukker , Senior European Rates Strategist Markets appear to catch their breath after tumultuous days After three days of market volatility, it appears markets are catching their breath again. While the situation in the Middle East remains uncertain, oil prices at least are not rising beyond prior peaks. In bond markets, eurozone government bond spreads have tightened modestly; the German 2s10s curve eked out a steepening for the first time since early February. The pricing of the European Central Bank, which had swung to implying a 50% hike by the end of the year at one stage, has returned to a more cautious 20-25% probability. That is still a clear hiking bias versus a cutting bias before the turmoil. The inflation scare is still prevalent, and it is not too difficult to construe a scenario where energy supply remains disrupted for longer. More recent commentary from ECB officials has urged cooler heads, suggesting that policymakers think it's too early to pass any judgement on what the overall fallout will be. But the market still fears that any inkling of the price shock working its way through to other areas of the economy in a more meaningful way could prompt the ECB to react faster. After all, the not-so-distant experience of 2022 is still ingrained in policymakers' minds. But central banks' reaction functions will differ, not just given the different exposures to the Middle East energy supply. The Bank of England appears more sensitive to the inflationary impact stemming from Middle East turmoil, as our economists point out . What had looked like an 80% probability of a cut this month from the market's perspective has now been pared back to a 20% probability. Two cuts were fully priced by the end of the year. Now, there is only a slim chance of a second cut being priced this year. The US economy, of course, is more energy-independent than its peers. Nevertheless, co...
South East Water has been fined £22.5m by Ofwat for repeated supply failures in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023 that affected more than 280,000 people. While the root cause of the water shortages was extreme weather, the water regulator for England and Wales found that they were “in part attributable to and/or exacerbated by failures by South East Water itself to develop and maintain an effi...
South East Water has been fined £22.5m by Ofwat for repeated supply failures in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023 that affected more than 280,000 people. While the root cause of the water shortages was extreme weather, the water regulator for England and Wales found that they were “in part attributable to and/or exacerbated by failures by South East Water itself to develop and maintain an efficient water supply system”. This has affected 286,645 customers since 2020, with some customers being affected repeatedly. In January, Ofwat began a separate investigation into a series of outages before Christmas that left tens of thousands of residents in Kent and Sussex without water, many of them in Tunbridge Wells. Chris Walters, Ofwat’s interim chief executive, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The investigation reveals that South East Water did not take sufficient steps to plan, to learn from previous events. For example, the big freeze event we had in 2018. “We all remember the “beast from the east”, and it didn’t proactively maintain its network. All the things it needs to do to prevent a lack of supply resilience, so tankering and storage tanks and storage reservoirs.” Walters said the fine would be paid by the company and “won’t show up on customers’ bills”. Asked why the process took three years, he said that investigations took time, saying supply interruptions for customers were “a totemic issue” and it was important to get things right. He added that South East Water “needs to step up and take more ownership of the problem”. The latest penalty comes a day after another supplier, South West Water, admitted supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasite outbreak in Devon made almost 150 people sick. Last May, Thames Water received a record £104m fine from Ofwat over environmental breaches involving sewage spills, after failing to operate and manage its treatment works and wastewater networks effectively.
Deutsche Post AG press release ( DHLGY ): FY GAAP EPS of Є3.04. Revenue of Є82.86B (-1.6% Y/Y). Group exceeds guidance with strong free cash flow (excluding M&A) of EUR 3.2 billion (FY 2024: EUR 3.0 billion). Supervisory Board and Board of Management propose dividend increase to EUR 1.90 per share (FY 2024: EUR 1.85 per share). DHL Group expects an operating profit above EUR 6.2 billion and free c...
Deutsche Post AG press release ( DHLGY ): FY GAAP EPS of Є3.04. Revenue of Є82.86B (-1.6% Y/Y). Group exceeds guidance with strong free cash flow (excluding M&A) of EUR 3.2 billion (FY 2024: EUR 3.0 billion). Supervisory Board and Board of Management propose dividend increase to EUR 1.90 per share (FY 2024: EUR 1.85 per share). DHL Group expects an operating profit above EUR 6.2 billion and free cash flow (excluding M&A) of around EUR 3 billion for 2026. More on Deutsche Post AG DHL Group: Re-Rating Leaves Limited Upside; We Downgrade To Sell U.S. blasts Europe for targeting Big Tech with fines, lawsuits Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Deutsche Post AG Historical earnings data for Deutsche Post AG Dividend scorecard for Deutsche Post AG
South East Water Ltd. was fined £22 million ($29 million) after the industry regulator blamed it for a series of supply outages that affected nearly 300,000 customers between 2020 and 2023. Ofwat proposed the penalty on Thursday after a failed attempt by South East Water to block it in the High Court. The two-year investigation found the utility did not maintain key assets and failed to plan suffi...
South East Water Ltd. was fined £22 million ($29 million) after the industry regulator blamed it for a series of supply outages that affected nearly 300,000 customers between 2020 and 2023. Ofwat proposed the penalty on Thursday after a failed attempt by South East Water to block it in the High Court. The two-year investigation found the utility did not maintain key assets and failed to plan sufficiently for periods of high demand. South East Water is under intense regulatory pressure after repeated operational failures left customers across Kent and Sussex without reliable supplies. Some areas endured days of boil-water notices or no running water. “It is entirely right Ofwat is holding South East Water to account, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said after the ruling, adding that supply disruptions “are wholly unacceptable.” The investigation, published Thursday, does not cover the most recent service breakdowns, including a treatment-works shutdown in late 2025 and a burst water main in 2026. Those incidents prompted widespread criticism, though Chief Executive Officer Dave Hinton told lawmakers he would give himself eight out of 10 for the company’s response to the interruptions. He blamed climate change and more people working from home for the outages. “This investigation gets to the heart of the company’s supply resilience problems,” said Chris Walters, interim head of Ofwat. “We want to see South East Water take more responsibility and get on with fixing things for its customers.” The findings were first made public in a High Court ruling on Wednesday after South East Water tried to prevent Ofwat from issuing the penalty and publishing its plans. Chief Financial Officer Andrew Farmer had argued that the penalty could result in a credit-rating downgrade and derail efforts to attract new investment. “We recently filed for judicial review of an Ofwat draft decision and sought an injunction. Following a hearing, the court did not grant the interim injunction...
This adaptation of the 2022 novel – starring Weisz, Leo Woodall and John Slattery – fits it perfectly to television. It’s a proper show for proper grownups Vladimir is that rare visitor to the screen – proper television for proper grownups. The eight-part adaptation of Julia May Jonas’s provocative 2022 debut novel of the same name has not shied away from the properties that made the book great – ...
This adaptation of the 2022 novel – starring Weisz, Leo Woodall and John Slattery – fits it perfectly to television. It’s a proper show for proper grownups Vladimir is that rare visitor to the screen – proper television for proper grownups. The eight-part adaptation of Julia May Jonas’s provocative 2022 debut novel of the same name has not shied away from the properties that made the book great – black comedy, bleak insight, evisceration of accepted pieties – and fitted them perfectly to the new form. The screenwriter, Jeanie Bergen, who has obviously absorbed the book into her very bones, retains all of Jonas’s wit, confidence and, crucially, her willingness to dwell in grey areas and luxuriate in the complexities that govern life in middle age. She also has Rachel Weisz, giving an unswervingly brilliant performance as the unnamed protagonist, a tenured English professor beloved by her students, whose husband, John (John Slattery, playing his one part, but he does it so well and so much better than anyone else, who are we to object to seeing it again?), another tenured academic on the same campus – has just been suspended for sleeping with students. His defence is that this was before the rules changed. “It was a different time” is a recurring phrase – not just from him (for here is the beginning of Jonas and Bergen’s devotion to rug-pulling) but from his wife and other members of their faculty and peer group, male and female. Continue reading...
After major roles in horror hit Smile 2 and the live-action Aladdin, the actor is returning to her first love: music. She talks faith, fame and why singing is more freeing than cinema When Naomi Scott was 27 she had what she refers to now as a “quarter-life crisis”. She had been working as an actor since she was a teenager, swapping bit parts in adverts for plum roles in high-profile Disney TV sho...
After major roles in horror hit Smile 2 and the live-action Aladdin, the actor is returning to her first love: music. She talks faith, fame and why singing is more freeing than cinema When Naomi Scott was 27 she had what she refers to now as a “quarter-life crisis”. She had been working as an actor since she was a teenager, swapping bit parts in adverts for plum roles in high-profile Disney TV shows and big-budget Hollywood blockbusters including Aladdin (she played Princess Jasmine) and Elizabeth Banks’s Charlie’s Angels remake. She had also married young, after meeting her husband, ex-professional footballer Jordan Spence, at her local church in east London. Worried that the path she’d taken had its destination already mapped out, she felt frustrated, as if she hadn’t really “mourned the other versions of my life”, as the now 32-year-old puts it. Part of that process, it turned out, was returning to her first love: music. “I felt I had to go back to basics, to a childlike writing process,” she explains, sipping a black coffee in a vast, sparsely decorated cafe in Hackney, east London, her faded red hair contrasting with the beige backdrop. “Just me on the piano at 14, allowing whatever comes naturally to come. So that’s what I did.” Music had always been in her orbit, be it via singing in a church choir or later working with the bonkers pop production house Xenomania. Somewhere along the way, however, acting had taken over. Continue reading...
From grappling at corners to VAR, the endless list of complaints reflects a wider sense of dislocation from ‘the product’ A terrible boredom stalks the land. Across the nation’s television studios and podcast armchairs, wearied men grizzle accursedly with forked tongues into branded microphones: entombed by a game they despise and yet are paid so generously to discuss. Out there in the wild digita...
From grappling at corners to VAR, the endless list of complaints reflects a wider sense of dislocation from ‘the product’ A terrible boredom stalks the land. Across the nation’s television studios and podcast armchairs, wearied men grizzle accursedly with forked tongues into branded microphones: entombed by a game they despise and yet are paid so generously to discuss. Out there in the wild digital beyond, the sickness festers still deeper. The game has gone , they type into a little white box. This is not the football I once loved , click send. The beautiful game is broken , pleads the Telegraph. They think it’s all over, and perhaps it always was. Arne Slot is no longer enjoying himself , and presumably a good proportion of the Liverpool fans at Molineux on Tuesday night know exactly how he feels. John Terry is no longer enjoying himself. Yaya Touré is “disappointed”. Ruud Gullit is so disgusted he has decided to stop watching. Chris Sutton thinks Arsenal will be the ugliest winners in Premier League history. Mark Goldbridge is bored out of his mind, albeit nowhere near as bored as you would presumably need to be to watch a Mark Goldbridge livestream. Continue reading...