European stocks opened sharply lower on Thursday, as renewed escalation signals in the Middle East erased hopes of a near-term ceasefire and pushed oil prices higher. By 03:10 ET (07:10 GMT), the STOXX 600 dropped 1.2%, while Germany’s DAX fell 1.5%. France’s CAC 40 declined 1.2%, and the UK’s FTSE …

U.S. stock index futures dropped sharply on Wednesday evening after Donald Trump signaled a major escalation in military operations against Iran, dampening earlier optimism around a potential de-escalation in the conflict. By 21:40 ET (01:40 GMT), S&P 500 futures fell 0.8% to 6,566.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures declined 1% …

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that Washington will intensify military operations against Iran over the next two to three weeks, signaling a renewed escalation in the conflict and triggering immediate volatility across global markets. Speaking from the White House, Trump said the United States would “hit them extremely …

Oil prices jumped sharply on Thursday, as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East fueled concerns over prolonged supply disruptions and drove a fresh risk premium into energy markets. Brent crude futures for June delivery surged 6.8% to $108.01 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 5.8% …

U.S. consumer spending showed renewed strength in February, as retail sales rebounded following a contraction in the previous month and came in slightly ahead of market expectations. According to the US Census Bureau, retail sales rose 0.6% month-on-month to $738.4 billion. The increase follows a 0.1% decline in January and …

U.S. private-sector hiring showed modest resilience in March, with job gains exceeding expectations despite a slight slowdown from the previous month. According to Automatic Data Processing, private employers added 62,000 jobs in March, following a revised increase of 66,000 in February. The latest reading came in above market forecasts of …

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday, leading gains across the cryptocurrency market as improving risk sentiment followed signals that the U.S.-Iran conflict could be nearing an end. The world’s largest cryptocurrency climbed nearly 2% to $68,807.8 as of 02:24 ET (06:24 GMT), extending a recovery after a largely subdued performance in March. …

European equities rallied sharply on Wednesday, while oil prices fell below the $100-per-barrel mark, after Donald Trump signaled that the United States could soon exit the ongoing conflict with Iran. By 03:17 ET (07:17 GMT), the pan-European STOXX 600 jumped 2.3%, with Germany’s DAX surging 2.8%. France’s CAC 40 gained …

Canada’s economy began the year on a steady footing, with modest growth supported by strength in energy and construction, even as manufacturing activity declined. According to Statistics Canada, real gross domestic product rose 0.1% in January, following a revised 0.2% increase in December. The reading came slightly above expectations, indicating …

Gold prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session in Asian trading on Wednesday, supported by a softer U.S. dollar and cautious optimism that the United States and Iran may move toward ending the ongoing conflict. Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,694.16 per ounce as of 21:35 ET (01:35 GMT), while …