Finance

Global energy benchmarks recorded a sharp decline, with Brent crude futures plunging over 6% to settle mid-way through the eighty-dollar range. The massive selloff came after the Trump administration suspended its air strike campaign against Iran, which immediately cooled fears of escalating infrastructure threats near crucial shipping channels.

Traders are treading cautiously ahead of the upcoming central bank policy decision, with the CME FedWatch tool indicating highly volatile rate-hike probabilities. While a hold remains the base case among Wall Street economists, previous disruptions in the energy sector have forced markets to factor in an unusually high chance of a quarter-point tightening cycle.

Precious metals registered positive price traction, with spot gold climbing toward the $4,090 mark per ounce. Bullion values were well-supported by a minor retracement in the U.S. dollar index alongside a drop in 10-year Treasury yields, which minimized the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding physical assets.