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Rising Tensions Leave Ships Stranded in Key Oil Passage

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ⁠was closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, choking off a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, has raised urgent concerns over an increasingly alarming situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where dozens of vessels remain stranded amid escalating conflict involving Iran. He emphasized the need to safeguard global shipping and protect seafarers as the strategic waterway—responsible for roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows—remains closed for a fourth consecutive day.  The closure has disrupted international trade routes and heightened anxiety across the maritime sector. Greek authorities have urged shipowners to exercise maximum caution and avoid high‑risk zones in the wider Persian Gulf region as tensions continue to rise. The prolonged shutdown underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical instability and highlights th...

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Stocks set for a rebound after the Fed’s announcement, with Big Tech earnings in focus

 


US stock futures signaled a rebound on Thursday after the worst sell-off in months on Wall Street, as investors recalibrated their timeline for rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and prepared for a heavy-hitting round of megacap tech earnings. Futures tied to the benchmark S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while those on the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered above the flatline. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which suffered a more than 2% decline Wednesday, pointed up by about 0.5%.

The Federal Reserve’s announcement on Wednesday that it would not cut rates at the next meeting in March, as previously expected, was a wake-up call for investors looking for quick interest rate cuts. Instead, the bank is expected to cut rates in May. The Fed’s pivot in the central bank’s rate plans has led to a recalibration of investor expectations, which has helped to stabilize the market.

After Microsoft and Alphabet failed to live up to investors’ lofty expectations, Apple, Amazon, and Meta will take center stage after the closing bell. The earnings reports of these tech giants are expected to be heavy-hitting, and investors are eagerly awaiting the results.

In conclusion, the stock market is set for a rebound after the Fed’s announcement, and investors are preparing for a heavy-hitting round of megacap tech earnings. The Federal Reserve’s pivot in the central bank’s rate plans has led to a recalibration of investor expectations, which has helped to stabilize the market. The earnings reports of Apple, Amazon, and Meta are expected to be heavy-hitting, and investors are eagerly awaiting the results.


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