Global Overnight News You Need to Know on Tuesday: Investors Assess Possibility of De-escalation in Iran Situation, International Oil Prices Close Down 10%, S&P 500 Index Posts Largest Gain Since February

Originally: 财联社

【Tuesday’s Overnight Global Headlines You Need to Know: Investors Assess Possibility of Easing Iran Tensions, International Oil Prices Fall 10%, S&P 500 Hits Largest Gain Since February】 Global Markets 1. International oil prices plummeted, with WTI and Brent crude both dropping over 14% at one point. Previously, Trump delayed strikes on Iran’s power facilities and said his team was discussing ending the conflict, despite Iran’s repeated denials. WTI May futures closed at $88.13 per barrel, down 10.28%; Brent May futures closed at $99.94 per barrel, down 10.92%. 2. Trump’s remarks triggered volatility in metals markets, with silver recovering over 10% of its decline, and gold prices narrowing previous sharp drops. London copper hit its largest increase in nearly two months. By close, spot gold fell 1.99% to $4,407.89/oz; spot silver rose 2.02% to $69.16/oz; LME copper rose 2% to $12,167/ton. 3. U.S. stock indexes all closed higher, with Dow up 1.38%, S&P 500 up 1.15%—its biggest gain since February—and Nasdaq up 1.38%. Tech stocks led the rally, with Broadcom up over 4%. Storage concept stocks declined, with Micron dropping over 4%, Seagate and SanDisk down over 1%. 4. Most popular Chinese concept stocks closed higher; Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rose 0.86%, Livermore China Concept Stock Leader Index up 0.05%, Xpeng Motors up 7.5%, NIO up 7%. 5. Hang Seng Index closed overnight up 2.76% at 25,020 points. Hang Seng Tech Index rose 2.68% to 4,828 points. FT China A50 Index futures up 1.07% at 14,463 points. 6. Major European stock indexes mostly rose; Eurostoxx 50 up 1.42%, UK FTSE 100 down 0.15%, France CAC40 up 0.79%, Germany DAX30 up 1.22%, Italy MIB up 0.81%. Middle East Tensions 1. U.S. President Trump told U.S. media on the 23rd that Iran “really wants to reach an agreement,” and the U.S. and Iran could reach a deal “within 5 days or even sooner.” Trump also said the U.S. has had “strong” talks with Iran and outlined key points of an agreement. 2. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani posted on social media denying any dialogue with the U.S. A senior Iranian official said President Trump has no authority to set conditions or deadlines for negotiations. Iran and the U.S. have exchanged messages through Egypt and Turkey to ease tensions, but the U.S. has not accepted Iran’s two core demands: compensation for damages and acknowledgment of Iran’s rights violations. 3. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif, emphasizing the urgent need to de-escalate the Persian Gulf situation and conduct diplomatic mediation. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahrir Andarabi said that if both sides are willing to negotiate, Pakistan can provide a venue at any time. 4. Reports indicate that thousands of U.S. Marines are set to arrive in the Middle East on March 27, coinciding with Trump’s self-imposed “final deadline” for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. 5. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel continues to target Iran’s missile and nuclear programs and also strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu added that Trump believes military gains from the conflict could be leveraged to achieve all war objectives through negotiations. 6. Iran’s Fars News Agency on the 23rd quoted sources denying that the so-called Iran Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has negotiated with the U.S., claiming this false report was fabricated partly to create conditions for assassinating Larijani. 7. Iran’s Armed Forces spokesperson on the 23rd stated that Iran does not need to lay mines in the Persian Gulf. Iran controls key areas in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea near the Strait of Hormuz and is managing the situation “with great wisdom and strength.” 8. An insider revealed that less than 48 hours before the U.S. and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had a phone call with President Trump. At that time, Trump had not yet decided when or under what circumstances the U.S. would intervene. Global Headlines 1. Goldman Sachs says that due to soaring oil and gas prices, the probability of a U.S. recession in the next 12 months has increased to 30%, up 5 percentage points from previous estimates. 2. Apple announced it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference from June 8-12, where it will showcase a series of critical AI features. 3. Federal Reserve Board member Mester stated that there is currently no need to consider rate hikes, and the policy outlook remains for rate cuts. Fed official Daly said that given the risks, the Fed needs to keep monetary policy flexible. 4. Colombia’s military confirmed that a military transport plane crashed in Putumayo Province in the southwest, carrying 114 soldiers and 11 crew members; 48 injured have been rescued so far. 5. Italian Prime Minister Meloni admitted defeat in the judicial reform referendum. 6. Castle Securities indicated that record short positions in the U.S. stock market face liquidation risk, and a rebound is likely. Hedge funds and systematic strategy funds are expected to be the main buyers in the next wave. 7. US fund Apollo has limited redemptions from a large private credit fund targeting retail investors, with redemption requests exceeding 11% on Monday.