Finance

Brent crude futures pulled back sharply by nearly 4% to settle around $96.78 a barrel, retreating from its previous surge past the $100 threshold. The price decline was sparked by reports that international intermediaries are exploring paths to resume diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran. Despite the late-week cooling, energy markets remain highly sensitive to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, leaving overall weekly crude gains significantly elevated.

The chip manufacturing sector experienced aggressive sell-offs as investors grew cautious about the sustainability of massive artificial intelligence infrastructure investments. Industry components like Sandisk and Micron Technology plunged roughly 11% and 7% respectively, pulling down the broader iShares Semiconductor ETF by 4.5%. The downward movement occurred despite a technically encouraging quarterly earnings update from Intel, which ultimately saw its own stock drop nearly 8%.

Digital assets struggled to find clear momentum as Bitcoin hovered narrowly around the $64,000 to $65,000 support baseline after hitting overhead resistance. The cryptocurrency market snapped a week-long positive streak of inflows when spot Bitcoin ETFs registered approximately $225 million in daily net outflows. Macroeconomic headwinds, driven by elevated bond yields and persistent inflation worries, have heightened the opportunity cost for non-yielding assets, leaving investors on edge ahead of the upcoming Federal Reserve policy meeting.