Finance

Global energy benchmarks Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate dropped sharply early Monday, declining by roughly 4% to 5% following news of the U.S.-Iran military pause. The drop pared down consecutive weekly energy spikes that had driven concerns regarding resurgent inflation and multi-decade highs in government bond yields.

Investor skepticism is mounting around mega-cap tech companies like Alphabet and Tesla as massive capital expenditures toward artificial intelligence strain corporate free cash flows. The elevated capital spending and slower-than-expected monetization paths have triggered notable volatility in tech and semiconductor stocks, causing the Nasdaq to record back-to-back weekly losses.

Bitcoin climbed back above the $65,000 threshold while Ether outperformed the leading cryptocurrency, signaling a broader risk-on peace trade across digital assets. The recovery follows weeks of macro pressures, including sticky interest rates, a stronger dollar, and persistent geopolitical tensions that had previously suppressed crypto liquidity and pushed the asset class into a fear zone.