Sharp increases in Europe; Wall Street futures are climbing

13:20

The positive trend in Europe continues. The DAX index is now jumping by about 2.1%, the FTSE is advancing by about 1.7% and the KAC is climbing by about 1.5%. This, after the month of March was the weakest for European shares in four years.

As mentioned, the sharp increases come after President Trump said that American forces are expected to leave Iran within two or three weeks, and that the US is expected to end the war “whether there is a deal or not.”

Brent crude is now trading stably around $104 per barrel, while US crude is slightly down and trading around $99 per barrel.

11:30

The sharp increases in Europe continue. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange rises by about 2.6%, the London Stock Exchange rises by about 1.6% and the Paris Stock Exchange jumps by about 2%.

At the same time as the dollar weakens in the world, the price of gold is now climbing about 1.6% and is trading around $4,750 per ounce. In the crypto market, Bitcoin is recovering a little this morning and is up about 3%, so it is trading around $68,000.

10:30

Trade in Europe continues to be conducted with sharp increases, although these have moderated a little. The DAX index jumps by about 2.8%, the FTSE rises by about 1.7% and the KAC advances by about 2.2%.

10:10

After the Asian stock markets jumped sharply, trading in Europe also opened with sharp price increases, against the background of the growing estimates that the war is close to ending. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange jumps by about 3.1%, the London Stock Exchange rises by about 1.8% and the Paris Stock Exchange climbs by about 2.3%. Wall Street futures are trading up to 1%.

At the same time, oil prices are now falling below the $100 per barrel mark, and are trading around $98. The dollar index (DXY), which has been on a strengthening trend in recent days, is now down about 0.4%.

In the US debt market, government bond yields continue to fall. The ten-year yield is down by about 5 basis points to 4.26%, while the two-year yield is down by about 6 basis points to 3.92%.

9:45

The futures contracts on Wall Street are recording increases at this time, led by the Nasdaq index. The Nasdaq contracts jump by about 1%, while the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 contracts both climb by about 0.7%.

As mentioned, President Trump stated during the night that the US is expected to leave Iran “very soon” and that the war is expected to end within two to three weeks, even if a deal is not concluded with Iran. “No, they do not have to reach an agreement with me when we feel that they have been returned to the Stone Age for a long time, and they will not be able to produce nuclear weapons,” he said. “Then we will leave, whether we have an agreement or not. It is not relevant now. It is possible that we will have an agreement because they want to reach an agreement.”

8:55

Trading in Asia continues to be conducted with sharp increases, following the significant rebound on Wall Street last night and the estimates that the war in Iran is on its way to an end. The stock exchange in Seoul takes off by about 8.8%, the Tokyo Stock Exchange jumps by about 5%, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange jumps by about 2.1% and the Shanghai Stock Exchange adds about 1.3% to its value. At the same time, oil prices are falling slightly, although they are still above the $100 per barrel mark.

stock Nike It fell by almost 9% in late trading, after the footwear company reported that revenues in the current quarter are expected to fall between 2% and 4%, mainly due to a sharp decline in sales in China. The company recorded revenues of $11.3 billion in the quarter that ended on February 28, above Wall Street forecasts, but unchanged from last year. However, the turnaround process under CEO Elliot Hill is still faltering. “Parts of the process are taking longer than I would like, but the direction is clear,” Hill said.

Nike does show an improvement in North America, where sales increased by 3% compared to the corresponding period. On the other hand, demand in China as well as for the Converse brand and general sports products remains weak. The company expects a 20% drop in sales in China in the current quarter. The stock, which has already fallen by more than 16% since the beginning of the year, fell by $4.62 to $48.20 after the close of trading yesterday. This is bad news for the stock Retailers which is traded in Tel Aviv, the company controlled by Fox operates 180 Nike stores in Israel and abroad.

7:20

The stock markets in Asia are jumping sharply this morning against the background of the strengthening of the estimates that the campaign in Iran is nearing its end. This, after last night a similar trend was recorded in New York, with the sharpest daily rate increases recorded in a year. In the meantime, the White House announced that President Donald Trump will give an “important update to the nation” regarding the war with Iran on Wednesday evening (Thursday at 04:00 am Israel time).

The Seoul Stock Exchange leads the gains, with a jump of over 7% in the Kospi index. In Japan, the Nikkei is climbing over 4%. In Australia and Hong Kong there are also price increases, although at a more moderate level. The contracts in New York also indicate slight increases at the opening of trading.

Last night, the last trading day of March in Wall closed as mentioned with sharp gains, which slightly sweetened a particularly negative month. The Nasdaq index led with an increase of 3.8%, the Dow Jones rose by more than 2%, and the S&P 500 by 2.7%. Chip stocks stood out in particular.

There is also some relaxation in the government bond market, with the 10-year yield retreating to a level of approximately 4.30% after reaching an eight-month high (4.44%) just two days ago. The US dollar, which is considered a safe haven asset, also retreated slightly due to the expectation of calm in Iran against the basket of currencies. The dollar-shekel exchange rate also moderated and stands at 3.13 – after being about 1% higher just yesterday.

Despite the recovery last night, on a monthly and quarterly basis the American stock market shows negative performance. The S&P 500 index fell the most by 5.3% during March and by 4.8% this year and the quarter. This is the index’s worst month since 2022. The Nasdaq is down 4.8% this month and 7.3% since the beginning of the year. And the Dow is down about 4%.

The oil market meanwhile does not join the optimism that the stock market transmits. Oil prices are trading this morning in volatility around the $105 per barrel Brent level, while American oil (WTI) is trading at around $102. Gold prices are climbing by less than a percent to a level of about $4,700 per ounce, after registering in March the sharpest monthly rate of decline since 2013.

In the meantime, the reports on the developments in the Persian Gulf region are sweeping the world media. The Wall Street Journal reports that the United Arab Emirates is preparing to join the move to open the Strait of Hormuz, including the use of force.

From Washington, on the other hand, more conciliatory messages are heard. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, hinted to the Fox News network that the contacts with Iran will continue even after the end of the military phase of the conflict. According to him, Trump prefers negotiations to war. “We will continue to try. There is an exchange of messages,” he said, adding that the US “will not allow idle negotiations to be used as a delaying tactic.” Words in a similar vein were also expressed by the president himself last night, when he said that the military forces may leave within two or three weeks even without a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also referred to the options at hand. In an interview with the Al Jazeera network, he repeated the assertion that Tehran is ready for any conflict, but confirmed that there is direct contact with the American envoy Steve Witkoff. However, he emphasized that “this does not mean that we are in negotiations”.

In relation to the Mezza Hormuz blockade, which shook the world energy market, he added that with the end of the conflict, Iran and Oman, which resides at the southern end of the strait, will determine how to manage the security arrangements in it, and described the strait as a potential “waterway of peace”. ,