FINWIRES — Financial News

Exchange-Traded Funds Fall, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) eased 0.1%.US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading Friday as a fragile Iran ceasefire deal looked set to hold until peace talks start in Pakistan.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each dropped about 0.8%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rose 0.4%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) each added 0.3%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 1.6%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) climbed 2.4%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) fell 1.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) declined 3.4%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), climbed 3.6%.CommoditiesCrude oil rose 0.6%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) eased 0.4%. Natural gas fell 012%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) dropped 0.8%.Gold on Comex lost 0.7%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 0.1%. Silver shed 0.1%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) rose 0.8%.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) eased 1%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) fell 1.1%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was 0.6% lower.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 0.3%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) dropped 0.6%, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) declined 1.4%.Health CareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) fell 0.9%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) dropped. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 1.6%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) eased 0.1%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) dropped.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 0.7%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) added 1.2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) gained 1.1%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was up 0.2%.

$^DJI$^EEM$^EXI$^FAS$^FAZ$^GLD$^IBB$^IGM$^IGV$^IPK$^IVV$^IWM$^IXIC$^IYE$^IYH$^IYJ$^IYK$^IYW$^PMR$^QQQ$^RTH$^SOXX$^SPX$^SPY$^UNG$^USO$^VDC$^VHT$^VIS$^XLE$^XLF$^XLI$^XLK$^XLP$^XLV$^XRT$^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH

Asia Markets14d ago

US Equity Indexes Mixed Amid Anticipated Iran Peace Talks, Expected Hot Inflation

US equity indexes were mixed in Friday's midday trading as a fragile Iran truce looked set to hold until peace talks begin in Pakistan on Saturday, while a red-hot inflation read was in line with the outlook.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.3% to 22,887.1, while the S&P 500 fell 0.2% to 6,814.3 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.6% to 47,881.5. Technology and materials were among the gainers, while consumer staples, health care, and financials led the decliners.A key aim of the Iran peace talks in Islamabad is to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran is "doing a very poor job" of letting crude oil pass and cautioned against collecting tolls in the strategic waterway, the report said.Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said talks cannot start until the US meets two conditions: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets.Vice President JD Vance, setting off for US-Iran talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, said Washington is "willing to extend the open hand" in this weekend's negotiations but warned Tehran not to "try to play us," The Wall Street Journal said.Ambassadors from Israel, Lebanon, and the US will hold talks in Washington, DC, on Friday to set the table for future negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, an Israeli official and a source familiar with the talks told CNN. The initial discussions will target an agreement on the agenda for direct negotiations, which Israel said would be aimed at disarming Hezbollah and establishing "peaceful relations" between the two countries.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures advanced 1% to $98.92, and Brent crude futures climbed 1.3% to $97.08.In economic news, US consumer inflation accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years in March as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices sharply higher.The consumer price index advanced 0.9% last month, its strongest pace of growth since June 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The latest print met a Bloomberg-polled consensus view. Prices rose 0.3% in February. Annually, inflation grew to 3.3% from February's 2.4% rise, falling short of Wall Street's 3.4% projection.Energy price growth jumped about 11% sequentially in March, led by a 21% surge in gasoline, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the headline increase, official data showed.US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 2.6 basis points to 4.32% and the two-year climbed 2.5 basis points to 3.81%."The fallout of the US/Israel-Iran war was evident in the March consumer price index," Oxford Economics Lead US Economist Bernard Yaros said in remarks emailed to.In company news, Barclays adjusted its price target for Fair Isaac's (FICO) shares to $1,950 from $2,400 while maintaining its overweight rating. The stock traded down 14% intraday, among the steepest decliners on the SP 500.In precious metals, gold futures fell 0.7% to $4,784.9 and silver futures slipped 0.3% to $76.22.

$^DJI$^IXIC$^SPX$FICO

Commodities14d ago

EMEA Natural Gas Update: Prices Ease on Peace Hopes but Supply Risks Limit Decline

European natural gas futures retraced some earlier losses in after-hours trading on Friday but remained below the previous close as optimism over potential peace agreements weighed on prices.The front-month Dutch TTF contract declined 5.02% to 43.86 euros per megawatt-hour, while UK NBP futures dropped 5.63% to 110.19 British pence per therm.Prices initially traded lower as momentum built around diplomatic efforts tied to Middle Eastern conflicts. A Friday Bloomberg report also indicated that Ukraine's lead negotiator with Russia sees progress toward a potential agreement with the Kremlin and suggested a resolution to the war may not take long to achieve.However, losses were partially reversed as traders refocused on supply fundamentals, including the need to replenish low inventories and the uncertain outlook for ongoing peace negotiations.Diplomatic developments remain in focus. US Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to hold talks with Iranian counterparts in Islamabad on Saturday, while Israeli and Lebanese negotiators are set to meet in Washington next week to discuss potential resolutions to regional conflicts.Supply constraints continued to provide underlying support. ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said LNG tankers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf with no clear end to the standoff, adding that the situation is being compounded by disruptions in Australia as Chevron's Wheatstone facility is operating at about 50% capacity following cyclone damage last month, while workers at the Ichthys LNG export plant are considering industrial action after failed talks with operator Inpex Corp.The Hormuz Strait Monitor said seven ships passed the Strait in the past 24 hours, down considerably from the pre-conflict norm of around 138 per day, according to the UK's Joint Maritime Information Center.On the storage front, Gas Infrastructure Europe reported that EU inventories stood at 28.91% of capacity on Friday, down from about 35% a year earlier.In its Summer Supply Outlook for 2026, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas said Thursday that EU infrastructure capacity should allow storage levels to reach at least 80% by Nov. 1. The group noted that steady injections since early April are a positive sign, adding that an extended refill period could ease price pressure and reduce the risk of a late-season rush to secure supplies. However, it warned that damage to the Gulf's energy infrastructure and ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could have longer-term effects. Separately, Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen also urged member states to consider reaching the 80% storage target earlier in the injection season to improve market certainty.

Financial News · Live Terminal

Exchange-Traded Funds Fall, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Exchange-Traded Funds Fall, US Equities Mixed After Midday

US Rig Count Drops by 3, Baker Hughes (BKR) Says

Sector Update: Tech

Monolithic Power Systems Insider Sold Shares Worth $11,698,654, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Eni Unit Plenitude Completes Acquisition of Acea Energia, Stake in Umbria Energy for $585.8 Million

US Equity Indexes Mixed Amid Anticipated Iran Peace Talks, Expected Hot Inflation

Biofuel's Weekly Value Changes Seen in Retail Prices for SAF, Renewable Diesel, The Digest Says

EMEA Natural Gas Update: Prices Ease on Peace Hopes but Supply Risks Limit Decline

CoreWeave Signs AI Cloud Deal With Anthropic; Shares Jump

NexLiving Communities Q4 Funds From Operations Rise 53%

Update: Market Chatter: EQT, KKR Show Interest in PolyPeptide Takeover

Update: Shell Confirms Plan to Produce Gas at Venezuela-Trinidad Offshore Field

SunOpta Says U.S. Regulators Allow an Early End to a Waiting Period for its Acquisition by Refresco

Consumer Sentiment Plunges to All-Time Low Amid Inflation Fears

G2 Goldfields Maintained at Buy at Stifel Canada as It Agrees to be Acquired by G Mining Ventures

TSX up 150 Points at Midday With Miners, Utilities, Leading Gains

G Mining Ventures Reiterated at Buy at Stifel Canada as It Agrees to Buy G2 Goldfields; Price Target Kept at C$65.00

Imperial Oil Maintained at Hold at TPH Ahead of Q1 Results; Price Target at C$150.00

St. Louis Fed US Q1 GDP Nowcast Estimate 1.992% Gain vs Previous 1.703% Gain

DAX Index Little Changed; German Inflation at Two-year High in March