Finance

Brent crude futures declined slightly to hover around $100 per barrel following a strategic release from the emergency reserves by the Trump administration. Despite the brief reprieve, energy prices remain structurally elevated compared to last year. Persistent geopolitical friction over the Strait of Hormuz continues to stoke broader inflation concerns on Wall Street.

Technology equities surrendered early intraday gains as investors parsed new friction in the artificial intelligence landscape. Sentiment was swayed by a leaked IPO prospectus from Anthropic alongside a decision from rival OpenAI to halt the release of its next-generation model over safety warnings. The updates triggered caution among traders who have heavily backed high-valuation AI initiatives.

Gold futures posted a minor recovery toward $4,171 per troy ounce following a sharp downturn that drove the metal to a seven-week low. The commodity remains under considerable pressure due to a strengthening U.S. dollar and fears of a tighter regulatory framework from the Federal Reserve. Higher yields have overall reduced the appeal of non-yielding assets.