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NATO Chief Says 34-Nation Coalition Moves to Safeguard Hormuz Shipping

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday a 34-country coalition led by the UK is aligning with the US to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open for global trade.Rutte made the remarks at the Ronald Reagan Institute's Center for Peace Through Strength.Rutte said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed, "we have to bring together a coalition... to make sure that the principle of free shipping... is upheld," highlighting coordinated action with the US.He said contributions differ by nation, adding the Netherlands will likely deploy "mine hunters... and radar technology," describing the effort as "practical support" to secure shipping lanes.Rutte added conditions remain uncertain, noting the situation is "two days into the ceasefire," and developments in shipping lanes will be reviewed "day by day" as operations evolve.The US president is focused on reopening routes quickly, adding that the mission aims "to make sure that this principle of free shipping is maintained" beyond immediate military coordination.Rutte added the coalition spans beyond NATO, noting participation from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, calling it a broad-based international maritime effort.He said the UK-led group is aligning "military, political and economic tools," describing it as a strategic shift with European allies taking stronger roles in regional and global security.Participating nations agree that the Strait must not close. Rutte stressed "we cannot accept the strait to be closed," underscoring urgency around maintaining uninterrupted maritime access.Rutte said even smaller maritime nations contribute meaningfully, noting countries like the Netherlands remain relevant, while NATO allies form the bulk of the coalition securing the vital route.

Netflix Set to Beat 2026 Guidance Amid Early US Price Increases, UBS Says

Netflix (NFLX) may outperform its own guidance for the full year as the impact of earlier-than-expected price increases takes hold, UBS Securities said in a note emailed Thursday.Last month, the company increased prices across its US plans, including raising its ad-supported standard tier to $8.99 per month from $7.99. The price of its standard plan without ads rose by $2 to $19.99 a month, while the premium tier now costs $26.99, compared with $24.99 previously.These price increases offer upside potential for 2026 estimates, UBS analysts including John Hodulik wrote.UBS projects currency neutral revenue growth of 14% with a 32.6% margin rate for 2026, compared with guidance that called for a 11% to 13% revenue increase and a 31.5% margin.BofA Securities previously said that Netflix's most recent round of price increases highlighted the streaming giant's pricing power.The company is likely to roll out more hikes in other major markets that are expected to boost average revenue per member, according to the UBS note.The widening price gap between plans with and without ads, along with new demand-side platform relations with companies including Amazon (AMZN), will likely double Netflix's ad-supported revenue in 2026, Hodulik said."While Netflix continues to slowly grow share of total TV viewing in the US, its share of streaming viewership remains under pressure given growth in (free ad-supported television)," Hodulik added.In February, Netflix dropped its plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which will now be acquired by Paramount Skydance (PSKY)."With the Warner Bros bid behind it, we believe Netflix is still positioned to benefit from its solid slate of content this year including the return of four of its top 20 series, new films such as War Machine and The Rip, a growing list of live events and the ramp in video games," Hodulik said.Shares of Netflix were up 2.5% in recent trading on Thursday.Price: $101.64, Change: $+2.25, Percent Change: +2.26%

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US Markets21d ago

Equities Rise Intraday as US-Iran Ceasefire Holds Amid Hormuz Uncertainty

US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday as a recent two-week ceasefire between Washington and Iran appeared to be holding, though oil prices rebounded as access to the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted.The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite were up 0.8% each at 48,279.5 and 22,811.7, respectively, after midday Thursday. The S&P 500 added 0.7% to 6,829. Barring energy, all sectors were in the green, led by consumer discretionary.West Texas Intermediate crude was up 2.3% at $96.54 a barrel intraday. The benchmark hit up to $102.70 a barrel earlier in the session. Brent crude edged up 0.6% to $94.96 per barrel.The rebound in oil prices follows the sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 in the previous session as the US and Iran agreed to temporarily halt hostilities that had gripped the Middle East since the end of February."The Strait of Hormuz is not open," Abu Dhabi National Oil Chief Executive Sultan Al Jaber said in a LinkedIn post Thursday. "Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled."Iranian state media previously reported that transit through the strait was halted following Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would negotiate with Lebanon on disarming Hezbollah, CNN reported Thursday."We continue to contend that actual transit levels through the waterway will remain significantly depressed given that Iran is insisting vessels must coordinate with its military or face destruction," RBC Capital Markets said in a note.Officials from Washington and Tehran are expected to meet this weekend in Pakistan, which helped broker the truce.US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down two basis points at 4.27% and the two-year rate dropping 3.4 basis points to 3.76%.In economic news, US inflation accelerated sequentially in February as real consumer spending edged higher, with analysts expecting price pressures to intensify due to the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict.The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric -- which excludes food and energy -- rose 0.4% month over month, unchanged from January's reading. Annual growth slowed to 3% from 3.1%. All inflation prints met estimates in Bloomberg-compiled surveys."With headline inflation likely to test 4% soon, there is little chance the Fed will ease policy in the near term," BMO Capital Markets said in a note.Weekly applications for unemployment insurance in the US rose more than expected, while continuing claims reached the lowest level since May 2024, government data showed."The latest jobless claims data offer no evidence that the (US-Israel) war with Iran has had a notable impact on the labor market," Oxford Economics said in a note. "We don't think an upside surprise in one week is sending a signal that labor market conditions are softening."In company news, CoreWeave (CRWV) agreed to supply artificial intelligence cloud capacity to Meta Platforms (META) in a $21 billion deal as the companies expanded their partnership amid robust demand for infrastructure supporting AI workloads. CoreWeave shares were up 6.1% intraday, while Meta rose 3%.Ares Management (ARES) agreed to acquire and take private Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth about $1.7 billion. Whitestone shares jumped 11%, while Ares advanced 0.5%.Chevron (CVX) said it expected higher commodity prices driven by the Middle East conflict to boost first-quarter earnings in its upstream segment by up to $2.2 billion, though timing impacts could weigh on the oil giant's bottom line. The company's shares were down 1.4% intraday, among the worst performers on the Dow.Gold was up 0.9% at $4,819 per troy ounce, while silver advanced 1.5% to $76.49 per ounce.

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Asia Markets21d ago

US Equity Indexes Rise Amid Reports of Hormuz Opening, Israel's Plans to Talk With Lebanon

US equity indexes rose after midday Thursday amid media reports that the Strait of Hormuz is open and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv will begin direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.8% to 22,815.1, with the S&P 500 up 0.7% to 6,830.9 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.8% to 48,308.4, after staging a strong rally on Wednesday. All sectors except energy and healthcare rose intraday, while consumer discretionary, utilities, and real estate led the gainers.All three mainstream indexes had opened lower on Thursday, reflecting Israel's attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday that, according to Reuters, killed more than 250 people. However, after midday, the equity gauges turned the corner.This comes as the UK's ITV reported that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the Strait of Hormuz is open. Any civilian vessel can pass with guidance from the Iranian authorities, Khatibzadeh told ITV.Meanwhile, CNN reported that the two-week ceasefire appeared to be on track, with fewer attacks reported across the Middle East on Thursday.Further, Netanyahu's proposal, as per the CNN report, to begin talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, a militant group reportedly fighting as Iran's proxy, addressed concerns raised by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Tel Aviv's strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday violated the truce deal and, more importantly, would render the upcoming US-Iran peace negotiations in Islamabad meaningless, Reuters cited Pezeshkian as saying.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures advanced 2.2% to $96.52, after trading more than 7% higher earlier in the session. Brent crude futures rose 0.4% to $95.07, after climbing almost 5% intraday.US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 2.6 basis points to 4.27%. The two-year rate dropped 3.6 basis points to 3.76%.In precious metals, gold futures rose 0.9% to $4,821.1 and silver futures climbed 1.5% to $76.54.In economic news, the personal consumption expenditures price index rose by 0.4%, and as expected, the year-over-year rate remained at 2.8%. The price index increased by 0.3% month-over-month in January.The core PCE price index increased by 0.4%, as expected, and the same as in January. The year-over-year rate dropped to 3% from 3.1% in the previous month.US economic growth, measured by gross domestic product, was revised lower to a 0.5% increase in Q4 from a 0.7% gain in the second estimate, compared with estimates for no revision in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.US initial jobless claims rose to 219,000 in the week ended April 4 from an upwardly revised 203,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 210,000 in a Bloomberg-compiled poll.In company news, CoreWeave (CRWV) said it signed an agreement with Meta Platforms (META) to provide artificial intelligence cloud capacity through December 2032 for about $21 billion. Shares of CoreWeave and Meta were up 6.5% and 3.1%, respectively.

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Financial News · Live Terminal

NATO Chief Says 34-Nation Coalition Moves to Safeguard Hormuz Shipping

Netflix Set to Beat 2026 Guidance Amid Early US Price Increases, UBS Says

NATO Chief Says 34-Nation Coalition Moves to Safeguard Hormuz Shipping

Netflix Set to Beat 2026 Guidance Amid Early US Price Increases, UBS Says

Equities Rise Intraday as US-Iran Ceasefire Holds Amid Hormuz Uncertainty

US Equity Indexes Rise Amid Reports of Hormuz Opening, Israel's Plans to Talk With Lebanon

Oil Prices Rebound as Optimism Around US-Iran Truce Wanes

US Crude Shipments Poised to Break 5 Million b/d Record in May, Bloomberg Analysis Says

Market Chatter: Yanbu Port Loadings Persist After Attack on Key Saudi Pipeline

Weekly Jobless Claims Rise, Continuing Applications Reach Lowest Since May 2024

US 30-Year Auction High Yield Rises From Previous Month, Demand Lower

Exchange-Traded Funds Edge Higher as US Equities Rise After Midday

US 30-Year High Yield 4.876% vs 4.871% Previous; Bid/Cover 2.39 vs 2.45 Previous

Petro-Victory Energy Increases a Shares for Debt Transaction

Chevron Flags Tailwind to Quarterly Upstream Earnings From Higher Commodity Prices

Inflation Accelerates in February, Real Consumer Spending Edges Higher

Average Asking Rent in Canada Falls to A 35-Month Low in March, Says Report

TSX Down 72 Points at Midday With Most Sectors Lower

European Stocks Mostly Lower in Thursday Trading; Oil Prices Rise as Ceasefire on Shaky Ground

UK Stocks Subdued on Middle East Ceasefire Doubts

German Blue-chip DAX Index Retreats Amid Middle East Truce Uncertainty

Swiss Blue-chip Index Closes Higher; US-Iran Ceasefire Deal Uncertainty Takes Spotlight