Finance

Chipmaker stocks are rising to give major indices an early boost after a brutal week that pushed the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index into bear market territory. The tech-focused rebound comes as investors shift their attention to a busy slate of major technology earnings reports, including Alphabet and Tesla.

Crude oil futures are showing volatility following a massive 15.9% rally last week as military conflict between the United States and Iran threatens critical shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. International benchmark Brent crude briefly climbed above ninety dollars a barrel, driving the average price of regular gasoline for American consumers back above the critical four dollar a gallon threshold.

Spot gold is holding steady just above the four thousand dollar per ounce mark as market participants weigh safe-haven demand against shifting expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Although geopolitical risk in the Middle East provides support for the precious metal, rising oil prices have heightened inflation fears and reinforced bets that central banks may implement further interest rate hikes.