Bloomberg — 2026-05-05#

Lead Story#

The fragile US-Iran ceasefire is holding, despite a violent flare-up in the Persian Gulf that saw the two nations trade fire and the UAE intercept incoming missiles. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the American military is shifting from offensive operations to maintaining an “ironclad” blockade, seeking to safely guide commercial vessels through the largely deserted Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing conflict and shipping closures have driven oil prices to near-historic highs and continue to trigger severe global supply chain concerns.

CNBC — 2026-05-05#

Lead Story#

Artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks dominated Tuesday’s session as Advanced Micro Devices soared 15% on data center growth, Micron eclipsed a $700 billion valuation, and Super Micro Computer spiked 18% on a guidance beat. The massive tech rally helped the S&P 500 and Nasdaq close at record highs, even as investors navigated rapidly shifting U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions.

Markets & Economics#

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs after oil prices dropped from earlier spikes, driven by the U.S. pausing “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz amid progress on an Iran peace deal. On the economic front, Job openings and labor turnover comes in at 6.86 million; new home sales rise to 682,000, with the hiring rate jumping to 3.5%, signaling a potential thaw in the frozen labor market. Abroad, the Reserve Bank of Australia hiked rates to 4.35% to combat energy-driven inflation, prompting strategists to warn that Central banks ‘on verge of policy mistake territory’ if they induce a global recession over an oil supply shock. Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Scott criticized Jerome Powell’s decision to remain on the Fed board past his term as a “significant mistake” that breaks 75 years of precedent.

Bloomberg — 2026-05-06#

Lead Story#

The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran ignited a global stock rally and sent crude oil tumbling, as President Donald Trump announced a pause on US-led efforts to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran are reportedly closing in on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the nearly ten-week war, prompting traders to rapidly reprice geopolitical risk across asset classes. The optimism propelled US equities to fresh record highs and provided immediate relief to energy markets, even as US domestic gasoline prices topped $4.50 a gallon for the first time since July 2022.

Bloomberg — 2026-05-13#

Lead Story#

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first state visit by a US leader to China in nearly a decade. The diplomatic mission has taken on a heavy technology focus, with Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang boarding Air Force One as a last-minute addition, joining a delegation that includes Apple’s Tim Cook and Tesla’s Elon Musk. The talks will navigate a complex backdrop of trade tensions, artificial intelligence competition, and the ongoing global fallout from the Iran war.

Bloomberg — 2026-05-14#

Lead Story#

President Donald Trump’s high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yielded a mix of lavish pageantry, transactional progress, and blunt geopolitical warnings. While the leaders struck an upbeat tone on trade—highlighted by China’s agreement to buy 200 Boeing Co. jets and discussions to boost US agricultural and oil exports—Xi explicitly warned Trump that mismanagement of the Taiwan issue could lead to “clashes” and remains a highly dangerous risk.

Bloomberg — 2026-05-29#

Lead Story#

The US and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to extend their ceasefire by 60 days and resume talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, pending final approval from President Donald Trump. The tentative truce sparked a broad market rally, sending US stocks to record highs and industrial metals to their best month since January, while oil prices and Treasury yields retreated sharply on optimism that Strait of Hormuz shipping flows will normalize.