Daily Summary: Wall Street Hits New Records as Oil Prices Cool

Geopolitical Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz: The week began with a brief escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Navy escorted two vessels, repelling attacks from Iran. While the FARS news agency claimed an Iranian strike hit a U.S. warship with two missiles, the U.S. officially denied these reports.

Diplomatic Signals from Iran and Israel: Iran announced plans to create a new institution to manage transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian President also expressed intent to discuss resolving regional disputes with Arab partners. Meanwhile, Israel characterized recent Iranian attacks on the UAE as a "warning signal" and stated they do not expect further escalation.

Oil Prices Retreat: With the ceasefire holding, crude oil prices have pulled back from recent highs. Brent crude fell over 3% to $110 per barrel, while WTI dropped to $102 per barrel.

Trump’s Economic Outlook: In a speech today, Donald Trump stated that the process of escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz would lead to lower fuel prices. He noted that several countries are looking to purchase oil from the U.S. and suggested that Iran still desires a deal, describing recent incidents as "games" rather than a true attempt at escalation.

Intel and the Semiconductor Sector: Intel shares surged 14% today, extending a massive rally that has seen the stock gain 440% over the last 12 months. The jump is linked to a potential renewed partnership with Apple to produce new processors. AMD gained over 4% ahead of its post-session earnings report amid high market expectations.

Mixed Results for Tech and Retail Stocks: PayPal shares fell nearly 10%; despite solid earnings, mixed guidance for future quarters spooked investors, Pinterest saw significant volatility, GameStop continued its decline due to mounting doubts regarding its potential acquisition of eBay.

Palantir’s Performance: Palantir reported strong financials with $1.63 billion in revenue (an 85% YoY increase), beating expectations. Earnings per share (EPS) rose to 33 cents (up 250% YoY). However, shares fell 6% as investors worried about slower-than-expected growth in the U.S. commercial sector.

U.S. Economic Data: ISM Services came in at 53.6, slightly below previous figures and expectations. New orders are falling sharply, and while the price index didn't rise as much as expected, it remains at extremely high levels. JOLTS (Job Openings) fell to 6.86 million, landing exactly in line with forecasts.

Central Banks and Forex: The RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) raised interest rates by 25 bps to 4.35%, as expected. Persistent inflation suggests further hikes may be coming; AUDUSD rose 0.32%. EURUSD remains slightly below 1.1700 due to limited expectations for Fed rate hikes. USDJPY continued its rebound following recent interventions, nearing the 158 level.