Finance

Crude oil futures retreated from recent highs following announcements that immediate military actions against Iran were off the table prior to the upcoming mid-term elections. International benchmark Brent crude stabilized slightly above $103 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate slipped toward $90. The correction was further supported by news of a strategic diesel supply agreement with Russia.

Government bond yields experienced slight fluctuations but finished relatively flat after hitting their highest levels in 24 years earlier in the week. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield hovered just below 5.25%, backed by healthy demand in recent long-term debt auctions. Despite the cooling, high borrowing costs continue to dictate corporate valuations and shape Federal Reserve interest rate policy expectations.

Technology and semiconductor stocks regained their footing as initial concerns regarding OpenAI's annualized revenue figures began to moderate. The underlying volatility still left its mark on the broader tech sector, prompting Nvidia-backed cloud provider Firmus Grid to scrap its multi-billion-dollar initial public offering plans in Australia. Nonetheless, a resilient Friday performance allowed technology to finish as a net positive sector.