Finance

Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz have pushed international energy prices upward, with Brent crude trading near $91 per barrel. This persistent rise in oil has amplified global inflation anxieties, sending the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yield to a 19-year high. Sovereign bond yields across Germany, France, and Japan also recorded multi-year or multi-decade peaks amid the broader market selloff.

As equity investors actively searched for stable market segments outside of technology, health care and biotechnology shares experienced a strong counter-trend rally. The multi-billion-dollar Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF climbed to an all-time high during Tuesday's trading. Notably, Johnson & Johnson shares surged more than 3%, positioning the company for its first record-setting close in over a year.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission unveiled a new regulatory proposal aimed at establishing a distinct framework for digital assets. The proposed plan introduces key exemptions from standard securities laws, potentially offering crypto projects a smoother, more transparent pathway for token issuance and capital generation. This initiative represents the first major regulatory overhaul for the sector under the current presidential administration.