Finance

Oil prices dropped roughly 3% with Brent falling below the $100-per-barrel threshold and West Texas Intermediate sliding under $90. The downward momentum follows reports that European Union nations are debating the release of fuel and crude stockpiles to mitigate tight global energy supplies and avert potential American diesel export curbs.

Cryptocurrency markets demonstrated resilience, with Bitcoin rallying over 2% to cross the $86,000 threshold. The digital asset managed to climb ahead of the highly anticipated US employment report, breaking away from the weight of rising bond yields and a strengthening greenback that have hampered traditional risk assets.

Technology and semiconductor stocks helped lead the broader market recovery, offering crucial support to the Nasdaq and S&P 500. Investor optimism in the artificial intelligence trade was fueled heavily by a blowout quarterly earnings report from memory chipmaker Micron Technology, whose surging revenue buoyed the entire sector.