Stock Market Updates

Market Summary: Global Records vs. Domestic Austerity The financial landscape is currently defined by a sharp contrast between record-breaking U.S. and Asian performance and a cautious, "austerity-focused" environment in India. U.S. Performance: The S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit fresh record highs last week, marking their sixth consecutive weekly gain. This was fueled by a blowout April job...

US Markets Retreat as Hormuz Tensions Push Crude Higher American forces struck Iranian military facilities responsible for attacks on warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, adding that US forces "do not seek escalation." Oil resumed its rally Friday after US and Iranian forces exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz, stoking fears that a fragile ceasefire was unravelling and threaten...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Wall Street Surges to New Highs While Indian Markets Consolidate The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both closed at fresh all-time highs, buoyed by strong mega-cap tech earnings and a modest pullback in crude prices. The S&P 500 extended its winning streak to five consecutive weeks on Friday, closing 0.3% higher at a record high, led by technology and consume...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Crude Oil Spikes to $106 on Hormuz Blockade Woes US stocks closed lower on Thursday, retreating from recent record highs as investors weighed mixed quarterly earnings, fading hopes for a swift diplomatic resolution in Iran, and inflationary pressures. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all declined, with tech shares underperforming and defensive sectors gaining. The...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary US markets surge on geopolitical relief President Trump's indefinite extension of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which eased geopolitical fears and lifted sentiment alongside strong earnings and AI-driven tech optimism. U.S. equities rallied sharply, with the S&P 500 up 1% and the Nasdaq up 1.6%, both closing at all-time highs. The ceasefire provided only partia...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Late-session news of a ceasefire extension lifted US futures after the close. US futures surged 0.5% after President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, saying the extension was warranted due to Tehran’s government being “seriously fractured.” Trump said the ceasefire would continue “until such time as” Iran’s leaders and representatives submit a “...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Trump signals Iran conflict "close to over" Global markets rallied as optimism grew that Washington and Tehran were moving toward a framework agreement — easing fears of prolonged energy supply disruptions and helping broad markets recoup losses from the recent conflict. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closed at fresh all-time highs, with t...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Hopes of resumption of US–Iran negotiations buoy the markets US President Trump signalled a second round of U.S.-Iran talks within two days, potentially to be hosted by Pakistan, to ease tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude plunged to $95 as supply disruption fears faded, while spot gold climbed above $4,800/oz on a softer dollar and risk-on sentiment post-coo...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary S&P 500 notched its longest winning streak since October Major U.S. stock indexes rose as investors reacted positively to a fragile two-week ceasefire and reports of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. The S&P 500 closed above the key 6,800 psychological level, while the Dow Jones turned positive for the 2026 calendar year. The Nasdaq outperfor...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary US and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire President Trump announced a two-week suspension of military strikes against Iran just hours before his 8 p.m. ET Tuesday deadline, following last-minute Pakistani diplomatic efforts. Iran agreed to allow safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, triggering sweeping market moves across oil, equities, cu...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Markets Brace as Trump's Iran Ultimatum Nears Global markets are on high alert as a critical geopolitical deadline approaches. Investors are focused on President Donald Trump’s 8:00 PM ET (6:30 AM IST, Wednesday) ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with threats of military escalation if a deal is not reached. WTI Crude Oil climbed to $115 as Pre...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Markets Pin Hope on Early Resolution to the Hormuz Crisis The weekend offered no respite - fighting in the Iran–Israel–U.S. conflict intensified, peace talks made no headway, with President Donald Trump sharply escalating rhetoric on social media. President Donald Trump has repeatedly extended his self‑imposed deadlines for bombing Iran’s civilian infrastructure t...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Trump vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ within weeks, Crude oil surges 5% on Trump's defiant tone In his address to the nation, President Trump declared that U.S. military objectives in Iran are “nearing completion” and that the war could wind down in about two to three weeks, assuming continued pressure and ongoing talks Trump also struck a defiant tone on en...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Geopolitical Risk Takes Centre Stage, RBI Comes to the Rupee Rescue U.S. equity markets ended last week on a negative note, with the S&P 500 down about 2.1% and the Nasdaq Composite slipping about 3.2%, marking the Nasdaq's worst weekly performance since the start of the U.S.–Iran conflict. The S&P 500 closed at 6,369, suffering its fifth consecutive w...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Trump announces 10-Day Pause on Strikes, A Reprieve for Oil and Markets President Trump announced a 10-day pause on strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure, extending the deadline to April 6 and offering markets near-term relief — though substantial uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz closure persists. Brent crude and WTI each fell nearly 1% in early tr...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Markets Celebrate Trump's Peace Overtures U.S. stock indexes posted their best single-day performance since early February, after a five-day pause in planned military strikes against Iranian infrastructure. The Dow gained over 630 points, the S&P 500 rose 1.15%, and the Nasdaq climbed 1.38%. Iranian state media, however, denied that any direct negotiations...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Beginning of the End of War? Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel is supporting U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait, would not strike Iranian oil and gas targets again, and that the war could end sooner than expected. His "verge of victory" remarks lifted risk assets as markets priced in a shorter conflict — though volatility persisted, with r...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Stocks surge on crude oil pullback Stocks rebounded sharply on Monday after several consecutive sessions of notable losses, with all major averages closing higher. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the advance. The indexes finished off their intraday highs but remained strongly positive. The Nasdaq surged 268 points, or 1.2%, to 22,374; the S&P 500 jumped 67 points, o...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Some Semblance of Sanity. Amid the global fuel crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the strait “remains open" to most vessels and is only closed to ships belonging to the United States, Israel. This is likely to restore a measure of stability to international energy markets and ease pressure...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Wall Street ends sharply lower as Iran war intensifies All three major U.S. indexes closed at their lowest points of 2026. The Dow Jones fell more than 700 points to settle below 47,000 for the first time this year, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq sold off sharply after Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, de...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Geopolitical Uncertainties Keeps Markets on Edge. Crude oil fell sharply after reports that the International Energy Agency (IEA) is preparing its largest-ever emergency release to address the ongoing supply shortage. The Paris-based body, comprising 32 member states and 13 associate countries, represents up to 75% of global energy demand. Brent Crude oil is curre...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary A Crude Waiver Paves the Way for Rupee Revival The U.S. Treasury Department issued a 30-day waiver permitting Indian refiners to purchase Russian crude already in transit. The exemption allows those shipments to proceed notwithstanding existing sanctions on Russia's energy sector. The move is intended to ease pressure on global oil markets amid rising geopolit...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Oil Soars as Middle East Conflict Widens, Global markets sell off as disruption of Middle East energy supplies threatens to reignite inflation Financial markets turned sharply risk-off on Tuesday as mounting fears of an inflation surge rippled across stocks and bonds worldwide. Global equities slid as disruptions to Middle East energy supplies threatened to reigni...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Israel-Iran Conflict Rattles Global Markets Israel's preemptive strike on Iran, carried out jointly with the US, has ignited geopolitical fears and driven global markets to open on a weak footing. Israeli-US military operations entered their third day with casualties reported on all sides, marking the most severe regional conflict in decades. US stock futures...

Opening Bell - Morning Commentary Nasdaq Pulls Back Sharply as Nvidia Slumps, but Dow Inches Higher. The benchmark S&P 500 and European equities finished lower as investors digested another blowout quarter from Nvidia — the world's most valuable company — yet remained uneasy about its valuation even as the chipmaker forecast first-quarter revenue of $78 billion. The retreat on Wall Street...