Crude oil prices jumped more than 4% on Wednesday as traders reacted to heightened risks of conflict between the United States and Iran. The surge followed the conclusion of Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Geneva, which ended without progress, adding to uncertainty across global energy markets. Brent crude rose $2.80 to …

Wall Street closed modestly higher by the evening of February 18, 2026, as investors balanced strong corporate earnings and a revival in merger activity against lingering concerns over the rising costs of artificial intelligence. The rebound was led by technology stocks, helping markets recover from recent pullbacks and stabilizing sentiment …

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed roughly 300 points, or 0.65%, on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive session of gains as investors stepped back into equities following last week’s AI-driven selloff. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq Composite gained about 0.5%, led by semiconductor stocks and beaten-down mega-cap …

Markets are turning their attention to the release of the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes, which are expected to provide deeper insight into the discussions behind the decision to keep interest rates unchanged at the last policy meeting. Investors are closely watching for clues about how policymakers view inflation, employment …

Steak ‘n Shake has seen strong sales growth since it began accepting Bitcoin payments in May 2025. The company credits this momentum to combining its traditional fast-food operations with digital currency adoption. All Bitcoin collected at participating locations is added to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, now totaling more than 161 …

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has reaffirmed its outlook for global oil demand over the next two years, signaling confidence that consumption growth will remain solid despite economic uncertainty and energy transition pressures.In its latest monthly assessment, the group kept its forecast unchanged, projecting global oil demand to …

Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday, dropping more than 3% as the US dollar strengthened amid progress in talks between Washington and Tehran. At the time of writing, gold traded around $4,869 per ounce after briefly reaching $5,000.Dollar Strength Pressures GoldThe rise of the US dollar reduced demand for gold, …

The Japanese yen traded in a narrow range against the U.S. dollar as global currency markets returned to full activity after the long U.S. Presidents’ Day weekend. The dollar-yen pair hovered around the mid-153 level, reflecting a balance between renewed confidence in Japan’s economic direction and steady support for the …

The Dow Jones Industrial on Tuesday as investors returned from the Presidents’ Day holiday. Technology shares continued to struggle, with concerns that AI tools could reduce demand for traditional software weighing on market sentiment. The S&P 500 declined roughly 0.5%, while the Nasdaq led losses, dropping about 0.8% as software …

The race to succeed Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank is no longer a distant institutional discussion. It has become a live political question shaped as much by when a decision is made as by who eventually gets the job.Lagarde’s single, non-renewable eight-year term, which began on …