Overview
- U.S. stocks pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to fresh highs on strong AI‑related earnings and a big rise in memory chip shares led by Micron.
- Fresh U.S. strikes in southern Iran last week weakened hopes of an immediate peace deal and sent Brent briefly above $100 a barrel, triggering headline‑driven market swings.
- Regional markets split with heavy tech buying lifting Korea and Taiwan while Pakistan’s benchmark surged and Indian indices showed intraday volatility before ending lower.
- In India, domestic institutional buyers helped support prices as foreign portfolio investors shifted to net selling, amplifying short‑term swings around monthly derivative expiry.
- Oil trading around $95–$100 is an active risk for inflation, currencies and policy decisions, and markets will look to U.S. PCE inflation data and any diplomatic moves for the next direction.