Finance

Crude oil prices and Treasury yields stabilized at elevated levels following an announcement from President Donald Trump that the United States has no immediate plans for military actions against Iran before the midterm elections. Although Brent crude remained above $100 per barrel due to persistent regional shipping disruptions, the diplomatic clarification helped ease intense pressure in fixed-income markets, leaving the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield hovering around 5.24%.

A preliminary report from the University of Michigan revealed a sharp decline in American consumer confidence, driven primarily by escalating living costs. One-year inflation expectations climbed to 4.7% as lower-income households felt a heightened financial squeeze from persistent price pressures, highlighting a growing disconnect between Main Street anxieties and Wall Street’s record-setting performance.

The cryptocurrency market found firmer ground with Bitcoin trading near the $82,500 mark following a major long-side liquidation event earlier in the week. Digital assets felt external macroeconomic friction from hawkish Federal Reserve meeting minutes and large capital outflows from institutional spot exchange-traded funds, but downside momentum was partially checked by an easing of immediate geopolitical risks.