Market UpdatesApr 14, 20262 Min

Global Market Wrap: Asian Stocks Rise, Oil Falls And Gold Rebounds As US-Iran Deal Hopes Persist

We are back with quick updates about global stock markets and major developments across some of the top companies worldwide.

Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher on Tuesday, supported by hopes that a deal between the US and Iran could still be reached.

South Korea’s Kospi led gains among major Asian markets, rising 3% to 6,002. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.5% to 25,788, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index climbed 0.6% to 5,013. Japan’s Nikkei 225, however, fell 2.4% to 57,873.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6% to 8,982. Separately, Australian business confidence declined in March, with a survey by National Australia Bank citing concerns over the Iran war and its impact on global oil prices.

Wall Street indexes ended higher on Monday, supported by hopes of a potential US-Iran deal. The S&P 500 rose 1.% to 6,886, its highest close since the war began, while the Nasdaq gained 1.2% to 23,183. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6% to 48,218.

Asset management giant BlackRock has raised its outlook for US stocks, citing limited impact from the Iran war and strong corporate earnings. The firm, which manages about $14 trillion in assets, upgraded its rating on US equities to “overweight” from “neutral” in its latest market note. With earnings season just getting underway, S&P 500 companies are expected to report profit growth of 12.6% for the first quarter, according to FactSet. That could rise to around 19% if historical trends hold.

European stocks are reportedly likely to open higher on Tuesday, supported by hopes that US-Iran talks could resume, even as a US blockade on Iranian ports takes effect.

Oil prices fell on Tuesday as traders weighed the impact of a US blockade on Iranian shipping, alongside signs that Washington and Tehran could still continue talks. US Vice President JD Vance said the next steps now depend on Iran, after weekend negotiations failed to reach a breakthrough. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery fell 2.2% to $96.82 per barrel, while International benchmark Brent for June delivery was down 1.3% at $98.01 per barrel.

Gold rebounded on Tuesday after hitting a near one-week low in the previous session. Spot gold rose 0.4% to $4,760 per ounce after hitting its lowest level since April 7 in the previous session. US gold futures for June delivery gained 0.3% to $4,785. Spot silver climbed 1.3% to $76.62 per ounce.

Gold prices in Dubai also rose on Tuesday morning, tracking a drop in oil prices that eased inflation concerns. The 24K gold price increased by Dh3.75 to Dh573.50 per gram at the open. Other variants also edged higher, with 22K at Dh531.00, 21K at Dh509.25, 18K at Dh436.50 and 14K at Dh340.50 per gram.

Here’s a look at some of the important developments across the global markets:

Oracle expands Bloom Energy deal after $400-million warrant

Oracle has expanded its partnership with Bloom Energy, days after receiving a stock warrant worth $400 million in the fuel cell company. The warrant allows Oracle to buy up to 3.53 million shares at $113.28 each, under an agreement announced in October 2025. Oracle said it will contract 1.2 gigawatts of capacity from Bloom as part of the expanded deal. The company plans to scale this up to as much as 2.8 gigawatts, with deployment expected to be completed by 2027. The two companies began working together in July 2025, when Bloom said it would start supplying energy to Oracle’s US data centres within 90 days. Oracle said the expanded partnership will help meet growing demand for its cloud infrastructure services.

Germany to roll out $1.9-billion fuel relief amid energy crisis

Germany’s coalition government has agreed on fuel price relief worth €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) for consumers and businesses, following a dispute over how to respond to rising oil prices. Under the plan, energy taxes on diesel and petrol will be cut by about €0.17 per litre for two months. The move comes as oil prices have surged amid disruptions linked to the war involving Iran and concerns over potential supply constraints. The agreement also signals a coordinated response from the coalition after concerns over delays in addressing the energy crisis.

Anthropic pitches new AI model Mythos to the US government

Anthropic is in talks with the US government over its new AI model, Mythos, the company’s co-founder said, despite an ongoing contract dispute with the Pentagon. Co-founder Jack Clark said the company continues to engage with government officials on Mythos and future models, adding that the dispute is limited and does not affect its focus on national security. Mythos, announced on April 7, is Anthropic’s most advanced model so far for coding and agent-based tasks, with the ability to operate autonomously. Experts say its high-level coding capabilities could allow it to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and develop ways to exploit them.

Amazon nears deal to buy Globalstar in push to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink

Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire satellite operator Globalstar, in a move that could strengthen its presence in the satellite internet market. A deal would intensify competition with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, whose Starlink service has grown rapidly with more than 10 million active users and about 10,000 satellites in orbit. Satellite broadband is gaining traction as an alternative to traditional internet services, especially in remote areas. Amazon is building its own low-earth-orbit network, Amazon Leo, with plans to deploy more than 7,700 satellites. Globalstar already operates a functioning network of satellites, and could help speed up Amazon’s efforts.

Europe EV sales hit record in March as fuel prices rise

High petrol prices in Europe pushed electric vehicle (EV) sales to a record high in March, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI). Global registrations of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 3% year-on-year to over 1.7 million units. In Europe, registrations jumped 37% to nearly 540,000 vehicles, marking a monthly record. According to BMI, higher fuel prices played a big role in driving demand, as buyers shifted towards EVs. Growth was also strong in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand, where rising energy costs led to a sharp increase in EV registrations.

United Airlines CEO raises merger idea with American in meeting with Trump: Report

The CEO of United Airlines reportedly raised the possibility of a tie-up with American Airlines during a meeting with Donald Trump in late February. The proposal points to a potential consolidation in the US airline industry, though any deal is likely to face regulatory scrutiny. A merger between the two carriers would be the biggest in over a decade and would further concentrate a market already dominated by a few major players. Together, United and American were the world’s largest airlines by capacity in 2025, according to industry data.

Nissan plans line-up overhaul with AI at the core

Nissan Motor plans to streamline its global vehicle line-up and expand the use of artificial intelligence in its cars as part of a turnaround strategy. The company will reduce the number of models to 45 from 56, exiting underperforming segments. It also aims to deploy AI driving technology across 90% of its lineup over time. Nissan is targeting annual sales of one million vehicles each in the US and China by the 2030 financial year, and 550,000 units in Japan. The automaker also unveiled a hybrid version of the Rogue SUV, known as the X-Trail in Japan, and an electric version of the Juke.

Virgin Atlantic CEO says high fuel prices may persist

Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster said high jet fuel prices are likely to remain and could affect global travel demand if they stay elevated. He said the airline may struggle to return to profitability this year, despite adding fuel surcharges to offset higher costs. Koster added that despite the “positive news” of the ceasefire between the US and Iran, jet fuel prices remain more than double pre-war levels. He said some of the disruption to energy prices could persist, and sustained high fuel costs may weigh on passenger demand, though bookings across Virgin Atlantic’s routes remain strong for now.