KanawatTH/iStock via Getty Images Philip Morris ( PM ) is one of my key holdings in the consumer staples portfolio. I think it's uniquely positioned to capitalize on the current market trends in the tobacco industry, namely the smoke-free movement. In fact, I consider PM a leader in this area. I've been a shareholder for quite some time, but my first bullish article about PM was published in July 2024, when I argued for its more attractive risk-to-reward profile when compared to peers. Since then, the stock price has increased by nearly 53%, outperforming the broad market by quite a lot. My investment from that time has generated me nearly 62% total returns when I account for dividends. Seeking Alpha I've been bullish in my last article on PM as well. Everything was going right, but I see that the market is shifting its outlook on this business. Over the course of last month, I've seen PM's stock price decline by over 10%. I think the change in dynamic is a result of PM's last earnings release for Q4 2025 and relatively high multiple when compared to the likes of Altria Group ( MO ). Data by YCharts That's why I decided to prepare follow-up coverage and present you with my thoughts on PM's business, financials, and valuation. To say right from the get-go, I am currently holding onto my shares, and I'm not adding at this moment. I consider PM a Hold, in fact a key Hold in my portfolio, but let me explain why I believe so. The Business Looks As Good As Ever High-level numbers show strong performance I'm sorry to those who weren't satisfied with PM's results, but I don't view it that way. I'm actually impressed with PM's continuous progress, which I see resulted in 1.4% organic volume growth. As I see PM noted in its Investor Presentation , that's a fifth year in a row of a positive volume performance. With PM's strong pricing power, I was happy to see 6.5% revenue growth. That's not the end of positive news, as I'm even more satisfied with PM's profitability. Just loo...

Nela Richardson, ADP chief economist and a Bloomberg contributor, says the US is facing the peculiar situation of a pretty strong labor market with very weak hiring on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)

伊朗新任最高领袖穆杰塔巴·哈梅内伊今天（3月12日）发表就任后首份公开声明说，“我们要从敌人那里索取赔偿，如果他们拒绝，就按我们判断的程度，从他们的财产中拿取；如果连这也做不到，就将他们的财产按相应程度予以摧毁。”（CCTV国际时讯） 风险提示及免责条款 市场有风险，投资需谨慎。本文不构成个人投资建议，也未考虑到个别用户特殊的投资目标、财务状况或需要。用户应考虑本文中的任何意见、观点或结论是否符合其特定状况。据此投资，责任自负。

S&P Global ( SPGI ) announced on Thursday significant enhancements to its flagship S&P Capital IQ Pro platform that incorporate advanced artificial intelligence capabilities and expanded datasets to accelerate financial analysis and decision-making. The company said the updates include the addition of ProntoNLP analytics along with data expansions across fixed income, biopharma, and private markets. Additionally, S&P Global announced the acquisition of Drift AI, an AI-powered Excel solution, with planned integration into the platform. The enhancements reinforce S&P Capital IQ Pro's position as a comprehensive platform that delivers trusted data, connected technology, and AI-powered tools that support research, client coverage, idea generation, and risk management workflows. "We continue to deliver new AI-powered capabilities directly into Capital IQ Pro while also unlocking the platform to support new and compelling agentic use cases and opportunities," said Warren Breakstone , Head of Data & Research at S&P Market Intelligence. "The addition of ProntoNLP and now DriftAI are two of the latest examples of recent advancements. At the same time, we continue to invest heavily in adding new and differentiated data to enhance client decision-making and bring these AI-powered capabilities to life." The firm also announced enhanced data coverage across key markets as described below: Expansion of fixed income coverage: added over 4 million structured securities from Markit, featuring enhanced pricing, analytics, and liquidity data, along with more granular reference information such as collateral type and advisor roles. Security-level fixed income ownership data: New granular ownership insights provide detailed holder information at the individual security level, enabling fixed income analysts to track institutional positioning, identify concentration risks, and understand ownership patterns across bond markets. Visible Alpha Biopharma: Integration of comprehensive pharmace...

There was a streak of European exoticism in the voice and acting of Jane Lapotaire, who has died aged 81. Her poise and the lustrous sheen of her acting led her to the top of the Royal Shakespeare Company tree, where she was an honorary associate artist, and to leading roles at the National Theatre under Laurence Olivier. On television she seemed perfect casting as, say, the Dowager Empress Dagmar of Russia in the Edward the Seventh (1975) mini-series starring Timothy West, or as an irresistible Cleopatra opposite Colin Blakely’s Antony in 1981, directed by Jonathan Miller, though, surprisingly, she never played that role on stage and was terrified of snakes (discovered when playing Charmian in the 1972 film version with Charlton Heston). Her real breakthrough came in the late 1970s, when she played two very different heroines: the pioneer physicist Marie Curie in a 1977 BBC mini-series co-starring Nigel Hawthorne as her husband, and, in the next year, Edith Piaf in Pam Gems’s small-scale Piaf, which burst its bounds in the RSC studio theatres to play a long season in the West End, where she won the 1979 Olivier best actress award, and then on Broadway in 1981, where she won the Tony. View image in fullscreen Jane Lapotaire in Piaf by Pam Gems at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Other Place, Stratford upon Avon, in 1978. Photograph: Donald Cooper/Alamy Sparely written and starkly, powerfully directed by Howard Davies, Piaf yielded a devastating performance of bright-eyed effervescence and forthright sexuality from Lapotaire, who had spent six months learning how to sing. She was playing another sort of stage diva, Maria Callas, on a British tour of Terrence McNally’s Master Class in 1999 when, on a short break to teach a Shakespeare master class in Paris in early 2000, she collapsed with a cerebral haemorrhage. For four weeks she was in intensive care and underwent two major operations. She re-entered the world, terrified and alone, armed with a supply of painkillers...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Keith R. Schroeder President, Real Estate — Kelly Brown Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] TAKEAWAYS Revenue -- $22 million, representing a 9.4% decrease, attributed to lower billed hours and weak demand from property management clients facing cost pressures. -- $22 million, representing a 9.4% decrease, attributed to lower billed hours and weak demand from property management clients facing cost pressures. Gross Profit -- $7.7 million, down from $8.7 million; gross margin was 35% and would have been 35.6% excluding $147,000 in out-of-period workers' comp costs. -- $7.7 million, down from $8.7 million; gross margin was 35% and would have been 35.6% excluding $147,000 in out-of-period workers' comp costs. SG&A Expenses -- $9.3 million, lower than the prior year’s $10.5 million, but the figure included $403,000 in strategic review costs and $460,000 in out-of-period expenses mainly from self-insurance and divestiture-related adjustments. -- $9.3 million, lower than the prior year’s $10.5 million, but the figure included $403,000 in strategic review costs and $460,000 in out-of-period expenses mainly from self-insurance and divestiture-related adjustments. Adjusted EBITDA -- Loss of $947,000, improved from a $1.6 million loss in the prior year, due to significant cost reductions in selling and administrative expenses, despite $1 million lower gross profit. -- Loss of $947,000, improved from a $1.6 million loss in the prior year, due to significant cost reductions in selling and administrative expenses, despite $1 million lower gross profit. Net Loss from Continuing Operations (GAAP) -- $0.11 per diluted share; non-GAAP adjusted EPS loss from continuing operations was $0.09 per share; consolidated adjusted non-GAAP EPS positive $0.09 per share. -- $0.11 per diluted share; non-GAAP adjusted EPS loss from continuing operations was ...

In this article XOM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz maritime passage should be continued as a "tool to pressure the enemy," in his first public statement since being appointed. Khamenei also said all U.S. military bases in the Middle East should close immediately and "those bases will be attacked," in televised comments translated by Reuters. Oil prices extended gains following the statement, read out by a state TV broadcaster. It's Khamenei's first public comments since being appointed as Iran's supreme leader on March 9 after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in U.S.-Israeli air strikes which began in late February. Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the attack on his father's compound, which killed the ayatollah and other immediate members of the family. "Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs," Khamenei said, calling for unity among the Iranian people. Khamenei, 56, is seen as more hardline and conservative than his father, although he kept a low profile in Iran before he was elected to succeed him as supreme leader. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed "disappointment" in his selection by Iranian senior clerics, telling Fox News: "I don't believe he can live in peace." Read more Five things to know about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei Three more ships struck in the Persian Gulf as Iran warns of oil prices hitting $200 The two oil pipelines helping Saudi Arabia and UAE bypass the Strait of Hormuz Despite Trump's comments, it's unclear whether the White House is aiming for regime change in Tehran as one of its main objectives in its military operation. Experts have said that airstrikes alone are unlikely to be enough to unseat Iran's leadership. There are no signs that the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran's critic...

北京时间3月12日晚间消息，据央视，伊朗新任最高领袖穆杰塔巴·哈梅内伊通过国家电视台发表首次公开讲话。讲话内容主要围绕伊朗国内团结、对外冲突、地区关系以及对已故领袖阿里·哈梅内伊的悼念等。 穆杰塔巴·哈梅内伊本次讲话要点一览： 1、霍尔木兹海峡必须保持关闭，作为向敌人施压的手段。 2、美国在中东地区的所有军事基地应立即关闭，否则这些基地将遭到攻击。 3、相信与邻国友好，只针对敌人基地进行打击，将不得不继续这样做。 4、绝不会放弃对袭击学校事件的报复行动。 5、挫败了分裂国家的企图。 6、伊朗将向敌人寻求赔偿，否则将相应地摧毁他们的资产。 7、国家的个人和团体之间的团结，通常在困难时期尤为明显，绝不能妥协。这将通过忽视分歧点来实现。 8、“抵抗阵线”是伊斯兰革命价值观不可分割的一部分。 9、如果战争持续下去，将会启动其他战线。 责任编辑：刘明亮

Global Power Solutions (PWER.V) on Thursday announced the appointment of Pete Medved as president an Upgrade to read this MT Newswires article and get so much more. A Silver or Gold subscription plan is required to access premium news articles.

primeimages/iStock via Getty Images GENERAL FUND INFORMATION Ticker: WITIX Portfolio managers: Robert Miller; Bruce Johns; Adrian Van Poppel; and Nicholos Venditti, CFA® Subadvisor: Allspring Global Investments, LLC Category: Muni national interm FUND STRATEGY Uses both bottom-up credit research and top-down macroeconomic analysis Seeks to generate excess performance by actively managing the four key elements of total return: duration, yield-curve positioning, sector and credit-quality allocation, and security selection Uses a relative-value approach based on extensive credit analysis that seeks opportunities from changing market trends and pricing inefficiencies to generate excess returns Manages the portfolio in a tax-sensitive manner by avoiding bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (%) AS OF 12/31/2025* 3 MONTH YEAR TO DATE 1 YEAR 3 YEAR 5 YEAR 10 YEAR SINCE FUND INCEPTION (7/31/01)^ Intermediate Tax/AMT-Free Fund-Inst 1.37 4.32 4.32 3.78 1.25 2.16 3.85 Bloomberg Municipal Bond 1-15 Year Blend Index 1.41 5.18 5.18 3.75 1.16 2.27 Lipper Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Average 1.40 4.49 4.49 3.96 1.04 2.03 Click to enlarge *Returns for periods less than one year are not annualized. Figures quoted represent past performance, which is no guarantee of future results, and do not reflect taxes a shareholder may pay on an investment in a fund. Investment return, principal value, and yields of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted and assumes the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current month-end performance is available at the fund’s website, allspringglobal.com . Institutional Class shares are sold without a front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge. The fund’s gross expense ratio is 0.50%. The fund’s net expense ratio is 0.35%. The man...

Maksim Safaniuk/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong Oil prices have swung sharply in both directions since the start of the week, reacting to rapidly shifting geopolitical developments surrounding the US–Iran war of 2026 , which has now entered its 13th day. Heightened uncertainty over potential supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz , a critical global energy chokepoint, has kept energy markets highly volatile. On Monday, 9 March 2026, West Texas ( WTI ) crude oil rallied hard by 30% at the Asian open to hit a 4-year high of $119.54/barrel before it tumbled by 35% to print an intraday low of $76.83 on Tuesday, 10 March 2026’s US session; due to US President Trump’s remarks that touted the “end of the US-Iran war is soon” and the expected historic amount of coordinated release of stockpile of oil reserves among G-7 nations of more than 183 million barrels released in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. On Wednesday, 11 March 2026, the International Energy Agency (IEA) made the official announcement to release 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves of G-7 nations, its largest ever release, with 172 million barrels coming from the US. Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf states’ oil assets overshadowed the IEA’s historic stockpile release However, WTI crude oil surged by 13% despite news of a historic stockpile release by the International Energy Agency, reaching an intraday high of $96 during the Asian session on 12 March 2026 at the time of writing. Iran has continued to intensify its retaliatory attacks on the oil assets of other Gulf countries, on top of the “indirect closure” of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has threatened to destroy any “unfriendly” oil tankers passing through the strait. Let's now focus on the potential short-term trajectory (1 to 3 days) of WTI crude oil from a technical analysis perspective. WTI Crude Oil – Held at ascending trendline support from 26 February 2026 Fig. 1: West Texas Oil CFD minor trend as of 12 Mar 2026 (Sourc...

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is trading sideways on Thursday. It has been in a well-defined range since December. There are two different strategies traders generally use with range-bound stocks. This is why NVIDIA is the Stock of the Day. A trading range has resistance on the top and support on the bottom. As you can see on the chart, the range for Nvidia is between $171 and $195. Resistance in a market can stay intact because of remorseful buyers. These are people who regret purchasing shares at the resistance when the price drops. When the stock returns to the resistance, they place sell orders so they can exit their positions at breakeven. If there are enough of these sell orders, it will form resistance at the level again. Support in a market can stay intact because of remorseful sellers. These are people who regret selling shares at the support when the stock rallies. When the stock drops back to the level, these remorseful sellers place buy orders. If there is a large amount of these orders, it could form support at the level again. Some traders like to wait for the resistance at the top of the range to break before they buy. If the stock can stay above the resistance, it illustrates an important dynamic. It shows that the sellers who created the resistance are gone. They have either finished or canceled their orders. With this large amount of supply taken off the market, the stage could be set for a move higher. New buyers will be forced to outbid each other to draw sellers in, and this could force an uptrend. Other traders like to buy shares at the bottom of the range and sell near the top. Sometimes, some of the buyers who created the support become impatient and anxious. They start to outbid each other, and this forces the price higher. There are many strategies used by traders to profit. Trading ranges and breakouts are two of them. Photo: Mijansk786 on Shutterstock.com

Stock Of The Day: Will Nvidia Ever Break Out? Benzinga

Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Founder and Chief Executive Officer — Daniel Dines Chief Operating and Financial Officer — Ashim Gupta Vice President, Investor Relations — Allise Furlani TAKEAWAYS Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) -- $1.853 billion, up 11%, with net new ARR of $70 million, including a $14 million FX tailwind. -- $1.853 billion, up 11%, with net new ARR of $70 million, including a $14 million FX tailwind. Revenue -- $481 million, up 14%; full-year revenue $1.611 billion, up 13%; normalizing for FX, quarterly and annual revenue growth were 10% and 11%, respectively. -- $481 million, up 14%; full-year revenue $1.611 billion, up 13%; normalizing for FX, quarterly and annual revenue growth were 10% and 11%, respectively. Cloud ARR -- Over $1.2 billion, representing more than 20% growth and including both hybrid and SaaS models. -- Over $1.2 billion, representing more than 20% growth and including both hybrid and SaaS models. Non-GAAP Operating Income -- $150 million for the quarter (31% margin); full-year non-GAAP operating income $370 million (23% margin), up more than 600 basis points. -- $150 million for the quarter (31% margin); full-year non-GAAP operating income $370 million (23% margin), up more than 600 basis points. GAAP Profitability -- Achieved first full year of GAAP operating profit at $57 million; fourth quarter GAAP operating income $80 million; full-year GAAP net income $282 million. -- Achieved first full year of GAAP operating profit at $57 million; fourth quarter GAAP operating income $80 million; full-year GAAP net income $282 million. Adjusted Free Cash Flow -- $182 million in the quarter; $372 million for the year. -- $182 million in the quarter; $372 million for the year. Customer Metrics -- Total customers reached 10,750; customers spending over $30,000 in ARR grew 7%; those at $100,000 or more total 2,565, and those at $1 million or more total 357; 90% of $1 million-plus cus...

職業訓練局啟用新的活動中心，培育體育、旅遊和酒店業的職專人才。 中心位於香港專業教育學院柴灣院校，佔地約400平方米，設有運動多功能區，符合國際標準的14米劍擊步道，可以訓練學生成為劍擊教練。 中心另設有多項旅遊和餐飲教學設施，協助培訓學生為投身職場作準備。

美股三大股指均跌超1%，道指现跌1.3%，标普500指数跌1.1%，纳指跌1.3%。 风险提示及免责条款 市场有风险，投资需谨慎。本文不构成个人投资建议，也未考虑到个别用户特殊的投资目标、财务状况或需要。用户应考虑本文中的任何意见、观点或结论是否符合其特定状况。据此投资，责任自负。

MSFT vs. AMZN: Microsoft Launches Copilot Health to Challenge Amazon’s AI Agent TipRanks

J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction This report evaluates risk asset performance through the lens of sectoral balances, real estate cycles, and fiscal flows. As inflation cools and unemployment rises, the interplay between Federal Reserve policy shifts and fiscal expansion is becoming increasingly consequential, especially given the current geopolitical shocks to energy markets. Sectoral Balances Overview The following table tracks monthly changes in sectoral balances, velocity, and acceleration—metrics that help forecast market direction. US Treasury and Author Calculations Fiscal Flow Breakdown February is seasonally a strong month for fiscal flows, and this last one has been no exception. The overall result is a net private sector surplus of $360+ billion, and this is positive for risk asset prices and well up from last month, and brings positive velocity and acceleration effects which are both green this month. Going into detail: The $360+ billion private sector funds surplus came from a large $311 billion injection of funds from the federal government. This injection was augmented by a healthy $124+ billion of credit creation by the banking sector and a debit of $-75 billion from the external sector. Bank credit growth is show below. ANGtraders.com ANGtraders.com The chart above This chart, from angtraders.com , illustrates the long-term correlation between Bank Credit (black line) and the S&P 500 ( SPX ) (orange line) from 1994 through a projected 2026. The chart tracks the Rate of Change in bank credit as a primary driver of the stock market. It shows that: Money Creation Drives Markets: The core thesis is that stock market growth is fueled by net money creation, which comes from two main sources: government deficits and bank loans. Positive Correlation: Historically, when bank credit rises (indicated by green arrows), the SPX tends to follow in a bull market. Periods where bank credit growth stalls or "flatlines" (indicated by red dotted li...

格隆汇3月12日｜欧盟考虑在紧急能源价格计划中提供更多政府补贴。

Fauzi Muda/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis In the past article, I warned investors about ABR's deteriorating investment portfolio. I was the first to issue a sell rating on the ticker in 2024. Since then, shares are down 40%, while the total return is a negative ~28%. At the same time, ABR's management has made significant progress in managing its assets. This includes foreclosures and loan modifications that allow borrowers more time to stabilize their properties by increasing occupancy rates and rent income. Things aren't perfect, but at 66 cents on the dollar, this company seems undervalued, trading as a collapsing entity despite its positive GAAP and non-GAAP net income, metrics that reflect its value creation. The dividend will almost certainly be cut again. However, even with this short-term headwind, I believe this might be the time to adopt a contrarian strategy. Seeking Alpha Portfolio and Business Model Arbor Realty ( ABR ) mainly provides bridge financing to multi-family real estate projects. Roughly 40% of their activity is in Texas and Florida, with Arizona, New York, and Georgia also constituting 8%, 8%, and 7% of the portfolio at cost, respectively. Bridge financing is a temporary loan designed to provide relief until more permanent financing is secured. About 99% of ABR's bridge loans had a maturity date within 12.9 months ( p. 5 ) as of December 31, 2025 (although one needs to acknowledge that many of the loans carry extension options, which extend the average maturity to ~19.9 months). Bridge loans constitute 94% of the total investment portfolio ($11.4 billion out of a total loan portfolio at a cost of $12.1 billion). In terms of real estate type, multi-family properties constitute ~73% of the underlying assets, single homes represent ~26%, while office, retail, and other properties represent the remaining ~1%. ABR's bridge financing fills a very particular gap, financing properties that are not yet eligible for GSE financing. GSEs requi...

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies speaks during the Digital X event on September 07, 2021 in Cologne, Germany. Palantir is still using Anthropic's Claude as the artificial intelligence startup's clash with the Pentagon plays out, CEO Alex Karp told CNBC Thursday. "The Department of War is planning to phase out Anthropic; currently, it's not phased out," Karp told CNBC's Seema Mody at Palantir's AIPcon 9 in Maryland. "Our products are integrated with Anthropic, and in the future, it will probably be integrated with other large language models." The Department of Defense officially designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk last week, but is still using Claude models to support the war in Iran, as CNBC previously reported. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) hasn't been in "growth mode" for nearly nine years, but that may finally be coming to an end. In this video, I'll talk about the big move EPR just made, why this 6%-yielding dividend stock could be worth a look right now, and what to look for going forward. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of March 11, 2026. The video was published on March 12, 2026. Continue reading

Shopify SHOP shares have declined 10.8% over the past six months, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector's growth of 3.4% and the Zacks Internet-Services industry's surge of 37.9%. The decline reflects uncertainty around the pace at which SHOP can sustain its growth trajectory while continuing to scale investments in product innovation, AI-powered commerce tools and merchant solutions. SHOP shares have delivered mixed performance relative to peers, including Amazon AMZN, Wix.com WIX and Commerce.com CMRC, over the past six months. Amazon, WIX.com and Commerce.com shares have declined 7.5%, 47.3% and 38.4%, respectively, during the same period. SHOP Stock’s Performance Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research SHOP Shares Are Overvalued Shopify shares carry a Value Score of F, which denotes that the stock is overvalued. The shares trade at a premium compared with both the broader sector and industry. Shopify trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales multiple of 11.14X, well above the sector’s 6.18X and the industry’s 7.04X. The premium becomes difficult to justify when compared with peers, such as Amazon, Wix.com and Commerce.com, which trade at P/S multiples of 2.8X, 2.25X and 0.68X, respectively. The elevated multiple appears difficult to justify, given structural gross margin pressure from a continued mix shift toward lower-margin Merchant Solutions revenues and rapid Shopify Payments penetration. Transaction and loan losses nearly doubled to $417 million in 2025 from $227 million in 2024. A challenging macroeconomic environment, including tariff-related uncertainty and softening consumer spending, compounds these headwinds. Price/Sales Ratio (F12M) Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research SHOP’s 2026 Earnings Estimates Revisions Are Steady The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SHOP’s first quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 32 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days and indicating ye...

The European Commission is considering relaxing carbon-permit supply rules and allowing more state aid as part of an emergency plan to cut spiking power prices, according to people familiar with the plans. The EU’s executive arm is also exploring whether to temporarily ease rules on granting free emissions permits to companies in its carbon market, as well as allowing lower grid fees and energy taxes, the people added, speaking anonymously to comment on the private talks. The commission will present its options, which are still subject to change, at an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on March 19. The event’s agenda has been overtaken by the unfolding war in Iran, which has disrupted oil and gas shipments and elevated energy prices. The commission declined to comment. EU leaders are fretting that the extra costs will further burden companies already straining under energy prices that outstrip those in US and China. Europe’s plans to revive its moribund manufacturing sector, and to get the continent competing globally, are largely reliant on whether officials can lower energy costs. European natural gas prices have already nearly 60% this month, and markets are preparing for disruptions to continue for months. In further signs of strain to global energy markets, Oman’s key oil export terminal was evacuated and two crude tankers were hit in Iraqi waters this week. The crisis also threatens to boost inflation at a time when Europe’s economic growth is still sluggish. Read More: EU Warns Iran Conflict Could Push Bloc’s Inflation Above 3% While next week’s summit is not expected to produce a final decision on energy measures, leaders will attempt to give the commission marching orders on which proposals to pursue. Those may include a fast-tracked revision of a carbon market mechanism, which automatically controls the supply of emissions permits. Under this plan, the so-called Market Stability Reserve, which withholds extra pollution allowances from circulation, would be re...

文章提及标的 道琼斯工业平均指数 -- 标准普尔500指数 -- 纳斯达克综合指数 -- 道指（DJI）跌1.28%，现报46811.87点；纳指（IXIC）跌1.12%，现报22461.09点；标普500（SPX）指数跌1.04%，现报6705.37点。