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US Equity Markets End Lower as Crude Oil Surges, Bond Yields Rise

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US equity indexes ended lower Thursday after crude oil surged and government bond yields rose.

* The Bureau of Labor Statistics' wholesale price inflation gauge, the Producer Price Index, jumped 5.4% in August from a year earlier, above the 5.3% forecast in a Bloomberg survey, and up from 4.8% in July.

* Core PPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, climbed 4.6% from a year earlier, as expected, and up from 4.3% in July.

* Initial jobless claims last week fell to 206,000 from an upwardly revised 207,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 205,000 in a Bloomberg poll.

* Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen's port city of Mokha, military sources said, gaining further leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern outlet of the Red Sea, Reuters reported.

* October West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $6.89 to settle at $102.94 per barrel, while November Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $7.05 at $108.26.

* Cooper Companies (COO) shares fell 15%, the steepest drop on the S&P 500, after the company cut its fiscal 2026 guidance. BofA Securities downgraded the stock to neutral from buy and lowered its price target to $65 from $80.

* Apple (AAPL) is apparently prioritizing volume gains over margins with its lower-than-expected pricing on the new iPhones, including its first-ever foldable smartphone, Morgan Stanley said. Apple shares rose 3.6%, the top gainer on the Nasdaq.

What else is happening in Japan?

Japan

US Equity Markets End Lower as Crude Oil, Government Bond Yields Rise

US equity indexes ended lower Wednesday after crude oil climbed and government bond yields rose despite the US Treasury Department's move to triple government debt buybacks to as much as $6 billion.* Iran is prepared for a more intense phase of the war and will increase counterstrikes if the US attacks on its territory and infrastructure continue, Bloomberg reported, citing a senior official from the Islamic Republic.* Redbook US same-store sales last week surged 8.3% from a year earlier after a 9.6% increase in the previous week.* October West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $3.45 to settle at $96.48 per barrel, while November Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $3.39 at $101.31.* Casey's General Stores (CASY) shares fell 14%, the steepest drop on the S&P 500, after fiscal Q1 same-store sales growth slowed and missed Wall Street estimates, even though earnings and revenue topped expectations.* Meta Platforms (META) shares rose 6.6%, the second-biggest gain on the S&P, after the company launched a new personal AI agent called Muse AI, which can send emails, book travel plans, and continue working after users close the app.

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Japan

Update: US Equity Indexes Drop as Crude Oil Tops $100 Mark, Treasury Yields Surge

(Updates with index/price moves and geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes fell after Brent crude oil futures surpassed $100 a barrel and government bond yields jumped after the Treasury Department unveiled plans to triple government debt buybacks to as much as $6 billion.The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.6% to 26,252.1, the S&P 500 retreated 0.4% to 7,640.2, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6% to 52,456.9 ahead of Wednesday's close.Iran is ready for a more intense war and will escalate counterstrikes if the US continues attacking its territory and infrastructure, Bloomberg reported, citing a senior official from the Islamic Republic. Tehran has no intention of backing down in the face of an American naval blockade and attacks on its oil tankers, the official told the news outlet. Economic pain may be increasing, they said, but the country's leaders see the war with the US as posing an existential threat that leaves them little choice but to keep fighting.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract surged 3.6% to $96.39 per barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent soared 3.5% to $101.34 per barrel.The Treasury Department plans to buy back up to $6 billion of government debt, CNBC reported. The move triples the normal buyback operation, following an announcement on Aug. 19 from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the department would at least double the normal amount for already issued securities.Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 3.3 basis points to 4.84%, trading close to its highest since late 2023.

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Japan

US Equity Indexes Decline as Crude Oil Tops $100 Mark While Treasury Yields Jump

US equity indexes fell as Brent crude oil futures crossed $100 a barrel, while a surge in government bond yields wiped the shine off the Treasury Department's move to triple government debt buybacks to as much as $6 billion.The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.4% to 26,306.5, the S&P 500 retreated 0.3% to 7,651.3, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6% to 52,541.7 after midday Wednesday.The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps plans to declare a restricted zone stretching from Chabahar into parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported. Any vessel entering this area will face sanctions, it said. The Strait of Hormuz accounted for about a fifth of global oil and gas flow daily before the Iran war.Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war, Reuters reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract surged 3.1% to $95.91 per barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent soared 3.2% to $101.04 per barrel.The Treasury Department on Wednesday said it will buy back up to $6 billion of government debt in an operation aimed at keeping bond markets functioning, CNBC reported. The much-anticipated announcement triples the normal buyback operation, it said.Most US Treasury yields rose, with the two-year up 3.2 basis points to 4.43%. The 10-year yield jumped 4.5 basis points to 4.85%, its highest since late 2023.

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