Finance

Energy prices surged as the conflict in Iran entered its fifth week, with Brent crude futures settling above $112 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbing past $99. Market participants remain concerned that prolonged disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz will continue to fuel global inflationary pressures and dampen consumer sentiment.

The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.44% on March 27, hitting its highest point since July 2025 as investors adjusted to a higher-for-longer interest rate environment. This upward movement in yields, coupled with weak demand at recent debt auctions, has placed significant downward pressure on bond prices throughout the month.

The technology sector led the broader market decline, with the Nasdaq composite falling 2.1% on Friday to conclude its worst week in nearly a year. Megacap firms including Meta Platforms and Alphabet faced additional pressure following landmark legal defeats and growing investor skepticism over high capital expenditures in artificial intelligence.

Digital assets followed traditional equities lower, with Bitcoin falling below the $67,000 threshold and Ethereum dropping toward $2,000. Massive liquidations of leveraged long positions and a shift toward extreme fear in sentiment indicators reflect a broader re-evaluation of risk across the cryptocurrency ecosystem.