In this article .N225 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Low angle view of tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing diverse architectural styles George Pachantouris | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks. The move was "subjec...
In this article .N225 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Low angle view of tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing diverse architectural styles George Pachantouris | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks. The move was "subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote on Truth Social. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X on behalf of the country's Supreme National Security Council said Tehran's armed forces will " cease their defensive operations. " Trump noted the 2-week ceasefire was subject to Iran agreeing to a complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi said that safe passage via Hormuz Strait will be possible via coordination with Iran's armed forces for the next two weeks. The U.S. has received a 10-point proposal from Iran that is a workable basis for negotiations, Trump said. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon U.S. crude oil prices plunged on the news. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery fell more than 16% to $94.23 per barrel by 7:15 p.m. ET. Japan's Nikkei 225 was poised to gain, with the Chicago contract at 56,040 and its Osaka counterpart last trading at 54,040 compared to the index's previous close of 53,429.56. Hong Kong markets were also set to jump as they resume trading following holiday. The Hang Seng Index futures were at 25,233 compared to its last close at 25,116.53. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 718 points, or 1.5%. S&P 500 futures added 1.6%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 1.7%. Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 inched up 0.08% and closed at 6,616.85, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.10% to settle at 22,017.85. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 85.42 points, or 0.18%, closing at 46,584.46. —CNBC'...
US Securities and Exchange Commission fines and investor relief doubled to $17.9 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, a surge bolstered by enforcement actions at the end of the Biden administration that likely won’t continue as priorities shift under President Donald Trump . The Wall Street watchdog levied $7.2 billion in civil penalties and ordered a return of $10.8 billion in illegal profits in the ...
US Securities and Exchange Commission fines and investor relief doubled to $17.9 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, a surge bolstered by enforcement actions at the end of the Biden administration that likely won’t continue as priorities shift under President Donald Trump . The Wall Street watchdog levied $7.2 billion in civil penalties and ordered a return of $10.8 billion in illegal profits in the year ended Sept. 30, the SEC said in a report published Tuesday . That’s up from $2.1 billion in civil fines and $6.1 billion of disgorgements a year earlier . SEC Chairman Paul Atkins , tapped by Trump to helm the agency, said in a statement that over the past year the SEC has redirected resources to combat “fraud, market manipulation and abuses of trust — and away from approaches that prioritized volume and record-setting penalties over true investor protection.” Tuesday’s report includes results from the final months of former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler ’s tenure, when the agency announced so many fines and lawsuits it put out an unusual press release touting record enforcement actions for October through December 2024, the first quarter of fiscal 2025. According to an SEC statement, the numbers were inflated by the prior administration’s attempts to “pursue media headlines and run up the numbers.” The SEC claimed the previous administration focused on “an unprecedented rush to bring a significant number of cases in advance of the presidential inauguration and the aggressive pursuit of novel legal theories under the prior Commission.” The report criticized some of SEC’s prior enforcement actions, including penalizing firms for off-channel communications and suing cryptocurrency companies. The SEC typically releases enforcement results in the fall, soon after the close of the fiscal year. Atkins had come under fire from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about the delay in releasing the agency’s statistics. The SEC’s enforcement actions have plunged during the second Trum...