ayo888/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The current US-Iran ceasefire optimism, which is now translating into a higher chance of a peace deal, has ignited the bulls in the Japanese stock market despite the ongoing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz that hinders global oil supply, which, in turn, may rouse stagflation risk. The failure of the negotiation talks between the US and Iran over the l...
ayo888/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The current US-Iran ceasefire optimism, which is now translating into a higher chance of a peace deal, has ignited the bulls in the Japanese stock market despite the ongoing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz that hinders global oil supply, which, in turn, may rouse stagflation risk. The failure of the negotiation talks between the US and Iran over the last weekend did not lead to a further escalation of attacks by both sides, but rather some form of compromise to find a “middle ground” as the US and Iran are considering extending the earlier ceasefire deadline agreement, due on next Tuesday, April 21, by another two weeks, and to allow them to make time to set up another round of negotiation talks before April 21. Nikkei 225 trimmed losses above the key 200-day moving average Fig. 1: Global major benchmark stock indices performances from Feb 27, 2026 to Apr 15, 2026 (Source: MacroMicro). Since the start of the US-Iran war, the Nikkei 225 has declined by 13% from the February 27, 2026 high towards a low of 50,395 printed on March 30, 2026, while holding above its key 200-day moving average at around 48,250. In the past five trading sessions, the losses have been trimmed, and the Nikkei 225 has now recorded a marginal loss of 1.2% measured from February 27, 2026 to April 15, 2026 (see Fig. 1). Continuation of JGB yield curve bullish steepening has discounted stagflation fear Fig. 2: JGB yield curves major trends with Nikkei 225 as of Apr 16, 2026 (Source: TradingView) Since last Monday, April 6, 2026, the shorter-term (2-year) Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yield has declined at a faster pace (6 basis points) versus a drop of 4 bps seen in the 10-year JGB yield. Therefore, a bull steepening has occurred on the yield spread between the 10-year and 2-year JGBs that led it to trade higher above its key 200-day moving average, acting as a support at 0.84%, to a 15-year high at 1.05% at this time of writing. A further continuati...
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the technology sector rallied, pushing the Nasdaq near all-time highs, as investors cheered a potential de-escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East amid a flurry of positive news in the artificial intelligence space.
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the technology sector rallied, pushing the Nasdaq near all-time highs, as investors cheered a potential de-escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East amid a flurry of positive news in the artificial intelligence space.
Seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan begins his bid for a record-breaking eighth World Snooker Championship title with a match against China's debutant He Guoqiang at the Crucible.
Seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan begins his bid for a record-breaking eighth World Snooker Championship title with a match against China's debutant He Guoqiang at the Crucible.
Iran Boasts It Is Fast Rebuilding Bridges & Rail Lines After US Wrought Destruction Iran is seeking to put out images showing its resiliency after the country was hit with tens of thousands of airstrikes during over a month of the US-Israel Operation Epic Fury, including blowing up bridges, rail lines and other infrastructure. The US and Israel struck bridges and rail lines to cripple Iran's natio...
Iran Boasts It Is Fast Rebuilding Bridges & Rail Lines After US Wrought Destruction Iran is seeking to put out images showing its resiliency after the country was hit with tens of thousands of airstrikes during over a month of the US-Israel Operation Epic Fury, including blowing up bridges, rail lines and other infrastructure. The US and Israel struck bridges and rail lines to cripple Iran's national transport network . Israel especially adopted attacks against key civilian infrastructure as a battle tactic, in hopes that eventually there would be a groundswell of anti-Tehran anger domestically, leading to government overthrow. The bridge that was bombed by Israel and the US in Iran a few days ago, will be operational soon. Iranian engineers are hard at work. pic.twitter.com/BJYicGKZud — Sentletse 🇿🇦🇷🇺🇵🇸🇱🇧 (@Sentletse) April 15, 2026 However, Tehran officials and state publications have been boasting of restoring key rail links within days , showcasing the drive of its engineers and its reconstruction capacity. This actually began happening even while the bombs were still falling while the ceasefire was in effect, with reports that even underground missile silos were being dug out and restored after some 12 hours of being attacked. President Trump himself repeatedly threatening to bomb bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure to send Iran "back to the Stone Age." While vital infrastructure and even energy sites have indeed in many cases been obliterated, the lights are still on across the country, save for the persisting government-imposed internet blackout. Since the fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8, Iranian officials say multiple damaged rail lines and bridges have been restored in record time - sometimes within 40 to 96 hours - using domestic engineering teams. These efforts have showcased by pro-Iran and even sometimes official diplomatic accounts on X. An incredible railway bridge reconstruction in #Iran after a U.S.-Israel attack. Speed, precisi...
Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Yaorusheng | Moment | Getty Images Hong Kong is rolling out a new tax break for commodity traders as it seeks to strengthen its position as a regional trading hub and revive shipping activity amid global supply chain disruptions. The government plans to introduce a concessionary regime for qualifying traders of physical commodities, halving the tax rate on their profi...
Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Yaorusheng | Moment | Getty Images Hong Kong is rolling out a new tax break for commodity traders as it seeks to strengthen its position as a regional trading hub and revive shipping activity amid global supply chain disruptions. The government plans to introduce a concessionary regime for qualifying traders of physical commodities, halving the tax rate on their profits to 8.25% from the standard 16.5% on eligible trading activities. The scheme will cover key sectors including mining commodities and is aimed at attracting global players to set up or expand operations in the city. Officials see the move as closely tied to Hong Kong's maritime ambitions. Commodity trading is integral to the maritime industry, Moses Cheng, chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board, told CNBC. By drawing more traders to Hong Kong, authorities expect a knock-on boost to shipping demand. "By introducing this tax concession… it would enhance the volume of shipping activities that are needed, and that would undoubtedly benefit the maritime industry," Cheng said. Hong Kong has long played a supporting role in global commodity trading, leveraging its strengths in trade finance, shipping services and legal arbitration, though it lags established hubs such as Singapore, Geneva and London where major trading houses are headquartered. Hong Kong's participation in commodity trading remains "relatively limited" compared with other global hubs, according to a 2025 report by the Financial Services Development Council . The city ranks among the world's busiest container ports despite a steady decline in throughput over the past decade as cargo shifted to mainland Chinese ports. Hong Kong handled about 13.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2024, remaining "one of the world's busiest container ports," according to the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board. The trading push comes as the Middle East war disrupts commodity flows and dr...
Arkadij Schell/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Pernod Ricard ( PDRDF ) warned of declining sales, mainly due to the effect of the Middle East conflict on travel retail. Absolut vodka-maker now expects organic net sales to drop 3%-4% for fiscal year 2026 (ending June), reversing earlier hopes for improvement. This stems from disruptions in airport booze sales amid the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and Gul...
Arkadij Schell/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Pernod Ricard ( PDRDF ) warned of declining sales, mainly due to the effect of the Middle East conflict on travel retail. Absolut vodka-maker now expects organic net sales to drop 3%-4% for fiscal year 2026 (ending June), reversing earlier hopes for improvement. This stems from disruptions in airport booze sales amid the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and Gulf tensions. For the nine months through March, the company reported a sales drop of nearly 15% to about €7.2B. The company reported Q3 sales of about €1.95B, down 14.6%, driven by a 12% Q3 drop in the US due to soft spirits demand, inventory adjustments, and weak holiday performance. While Canada bucked the trend with double-digit growth from ready-to-drink products and Jameson. China saw a 7% Q3 decline (YTD down 24%) from weak consumer confidence and regulatory pressures. The company also declared an interim dividend of €2.35 per share, which will be detached on July 22 and paid on July 24. More on Pernod Ricard Brown-Forman: A Deal With Pernod Ricard Could Be A Game Changer Pernod Ricard: Unconvincing Half-Year Results, Uncovered Dividend Could Be Cut Pernod Ricard SA (PRNDY) Q2 2026 Sales/Trading Call Transcript High spirits: Analysts weigh in on Brown-Forman's potential deal with Pernod Ricard Brown-Forman jumps on report Pernod Ricard weighing purchase