Finance

Government bond yields surged as the 10-year Treasury note finished the week at 4.44%, its highest level since July 2025. This upward movement reflects growing market anxiety over persistent inflation and the possibility of further interest rate hikes, driven largely by rising energy costs and the impact of global trade disruptions.

Crude oil prices continued their ascent as the conflict in the Persian Gulf threatened global energy supplies, with Brent crude settling above $112 per barrel by late March. While President Trump announced a temporary pause on certain energy strikes, market participants remained skeptical, keeping energy stocks among the most volatile sectors in the current trading environment.

While the total cryptocurrency market capitalization contracted toward $2.48 trillion, Bitcoin has shown relative strength compared to equities and other digital assets. Despite a dip in sentiment to extreme fear levels, Bitcoin maintained support above the $70,000 threshold, outperforming gold and the S&P 500 during recent periods of high geopolitical stress.

The previously dominant AI trade has encountered significant headwinds as investors shift from pricing in future potential to demanding concrete financial results. Major tech players like Nvidia have seen share prices retreat despite strong fundamentals, while software stocks have been particularly hard hit by concerns over AI-driven disruption and high capital expenditure requirements.