Finance

International oil benchmarks extended their recent gains, with Brent crude briefly climbing above $95 per barrel to reach its highest level in nearly six weeks. The pricing surge is fueled by ongoing military hostilities between the United States and Iran, along with persistent shipping disruptions in the Red Sea. The sudden jump in energy costs has intensified concerns about sticky inflation, pushing the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield higher and prompting fears of potential interest rate hikes.

Shares of Super Micro Computer experienced a significant rally after the artificial intelligence infrastructure provider updated its financial outlook. The company substantially raised its gross margin expectations for the recently completed fiscal fourth quarter, revealing it secured more than $60 billion in new orders. This positive business update provided a major boost to investor confidence regarding sustained hardware demand in the AI ecosystem.

AT&T experienced a notable stock price increase after reporting quarterly earnings that exceeded consensus analyst projections. The telecommunications giant attracted over 1 million advanced connectivity customers, driven by strong growth in its fiber and fixed wireless segments. Following the strong operational performance, the company announced plans to accelerate its share buyback program to return roughly $10 billion to shareholders.