Finance

Global oil prices stabilized and ticked slightly lower following political assurances that regional conflicts would not escalate prior to the upcoming domestic midterm elections. Additionally, the unveiling of a strategic agreement to secure more diesel supplies from Russia helped ease immediate supply fears, pulling West Texas Intermediate crude to around $91.20 a barrel and Brent crude down to $104.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield held steady at approximately 5.24% following a highly volatile week that saw longer-dated yields push to fresh 24-year highs. Bond markets continue to reflect tightening financial conditions and shifting macroeconomic indicators. Fixed-income investors remain cautious as recent central bank minutes suggest that further interest rate increases could still be appropriate by the end of the year.

The digital asset market continued to stabilize with Bitcoin trading horizontally around the $82,300 to $83,100 range. Despite robust quarterly momentum and strong long-term institutional product flows, the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem faces resistance from external macroeconomic headwinds, including elevated oil prices and persistent expectations of higher interest rates. Major tokens remain significantly below their all-time high valuations established late last year.