Finance

Crude oil benchmarks fell toward the end of the week, with Brent crude dropping below $98 a barrel and U.S. crude falling to $93 a barrel. The retreat snapped a multi-day rally and was driven by reports that U.S. and Iranian negotiators are discussing a phased agreement. A potential deal could lift blockades on Iranian ports and reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

Despite a mild Friday retreat to roughly 5.17%, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield finished the week notably higher, maintaining its position near a 19-year closing high. The broader fixed-income selloff paused following positive updates in geopolitical negotiations, though yields continue to squeeze equity valuations. Investors remain cautious as strong economic data keeps the probability of an October Federal Reserve interest rate hike near 66%.

The cryptocurrency market showed stability as Bitcoin closed out the Friday session little changed, coiling around the $84,000 mark. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are preserving substantial weekly gains of around 10% despite experiencing pullbacks from multi-month highs established earlier in the week. Market sentiment remains largely greedy, even as minor operational and security disruptions affected select digital asset platforms.