Developments in the Middle East fueled fresh jitters on Wednesday. After attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. launched a new wave of air strikes against Iran and stripped Tehran of a key license to sell oil. The incidents mark a significant escalation and threaten the fragile ceasefire the two countries agreed to last month. Oil prices are clearly back on the rise. Since Tuesday, Brent and WTI have gained about 5.5% to $76.12 and $72.31 a barrel, respectively.
Attention is also likely to turn to the minutes from the first rate-setting meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve under its new chair, Kevin Warsh. They are due to be published in the evening. Investors are hoping for clues to the internal debate over the Fed's next policy steps. The central bank kept its benchmark rate steady at the June meeting, but signaled possible tightening later in the year. A recent soft patch in the U.S. labor market has dampened speculation about a rate hike.
How much the Middle East war is slowing the economy and how sharply it is stoking inflation could be reflected in a new global economic forecast that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) plans to publish. Germany is expected to post stronger growth in 2026 and 2027, boosted by public investment, than in recent years.
Closing levels for European Level
stock indexes and
futures on Tuesday
Dax 25.465,25
EuroStoxx50 6.319,86
EuroStoxx50-Future 6.357,00
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Closing levels for Level Change in
U.S. indexes on Tuesday percent
Dow Jones 52.925,15 -0,2%
Nasdaq
S&P 500 7.503,85 -0,4%
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Asian indexes at Levels at 07:00 Change in
Wednesday a.m. percent
Nikkei
Shanghai 4.011,05 +0,5%
Hang Seng 24.016,51 +2,2%
(Reporting by Stefanie Geiger, Daniela Pegna, edited by Philipp Krach. For questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and macroeconomics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets)
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