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Commerzbank Says Oil Prices Open Higher, Treasuries Rangebound, US Dollar Stronger, US Equity Futures Weaker

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Brent opened up around $108 a barrel on the shutdown of a Saudi pipeline, according to Commerzbank Research in a note. Treasuries stay range-bound.

Saudi Arabia suspended operations on its east-west oil pipeline after a drone attack originating from Iraq, said Commerzbank. The Iran-backed Houthis also claimed responsibility for an assault on a Saudi military base.

Gulf states delayed planned talks with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, added the bank.

US equity futures are weaker, led by technology, on the increasing focus on whether frontier Artificial Intelligence is advancing so rapidly that safety measures, oversight and understanding of these systems are struggling to keep pace.

The dollar strengthened, with EUR/USD slipping below $1.1570, according to the bank.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that the current price shock could prove more persistent than expected. She said higher long-term rates reflect concerns over public finances and funding needs, notably for AI investment, but stressed that the backdrop differs significantly from 2008 and 2022.

Elsewhere in Europe, the German government dismissed reports that it was considering a minority government or seeking to remove Prime Minister Friedrich Merz, said Commerzbank.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lescure said the government aims to deliver 30 billion euros in savings in 2027, describing the budget as "difficult and ambitious." Far-right leader Marine Le Pen indicated that a compromise over the 2027 budget remained possible. The French central bank denied reports that any of its debt holdings had been sold in the market, calling social media claims false.

In Asia, China warned it could call off a planned summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump if the US approves new arms sales to Taiwan.

What else is happening in Sectors?

Sectors

Sector Update: Tech Stocks Gain Late Afternoon

Tech stocks climbed late Friday afternoon with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rising 1.4% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) adding 3%.The Philadelphia Semiconductor index gained 1.7%.In corporate news, Dell (DELL) shares jumped 12% after RBC Capital Markets initiated its coverage of the stock with an outperform rating and a $640 price target. Dell is well positioned to benefit from the multiyear AI infrastructure spending cycle, RBC said.Microsoft (MSFT) plans to more than triple its global data center capacity to over 38 gigawatts by 2032, Bloomberg reported. Microsoft shares added 0.8%.Oracle's (ORCL) fiscal Q1 results showed surging cloud growth, though margin pressure and a "modest" earnings guidance increase loomed over infrastructure buildout and profitability, Morgan Stanley said. Oracle shares fell 2%.Broadcom's (AVGO) licensing revamp for VMware software after its $61 billion takeover is attracting scrutiny from EU antitrust regulators, Bloomberg reported. Broadcom shares rose 0.3%.

$AVGO$DELL$MSFT$ORCL
Sectors

Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

Healthcare stocks were lower late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index down 0.3% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) easing 0.1%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.5%.In corporate news, Novo Nordisk (NVO) shares fell 2% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to underweight from equal weight.Eli Lilly (LLY) said Friday that it has completed its acquisition of AtaiBeckley (ATAI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing rapid-acting neuroplastogens for mental health conditions. Lilly shares were down 0.6%.Cosmos Health (COSM) said Friday its unit Cana Laboratories entered a new five-year contract manufacturing deal with Viofar to secure 2.5 million additional units of the Rosartia cardiovascular medicine. Cosmos shares rose 1.2%.Exelixis (EXEL) shares fell 1.5% after it said the US Food and Drug Administration extended the review period for its new drug application for its metastatic colorectal cancer candidate zanzalintinib, in combination with atezolizumab, by three months.

$COSM$EXEL$LLY$NVO
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Rise Late Afternoon

Consumer stocks were higher late Friday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) increasing 0.4% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) adding 0.9%.The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index fell to 47.8 in September from 51.7 in August, larger than an expected decrease to 51.0 in a Bloomberg survey.In corporate news, Walt Disney's (DIS) ABC and Jimmy Kimmel are in discussions to renew the host's late-night show beyond the 2026-2027 season, Variety reported. Shares added 0.7%.Tesla's (TSLA) Semi truck is slated for deliveries in Europe from 2027 onwards, according to the company's Friday post on X. Tesla shares rose 0.5%.Stellantis (STLA) has signed a memorandum with Roshel, a Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer, outlining steps toward the sale of an idled car factory near Toronto, Bloomberg reported. Separately, Stellantis plans to invest over 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) to build a new van at a factory in France as part of a larger overhaul of its European manufacturing operations, Bloomberg reported. Shares were up 2.5%.Kroger (KR) lowered its full-year identical sales growth outlook as the metric decelerated year over year in fiscal Q2 and missed market estimates, while its revenue fell short of expectations.Kroger shares were up 3.1%.RH (RH) shares were 0.2% lower following its fiscal Q2 results in the previous day.

$DIS$KR$RH$STLA$TSLA