Market News
- Horizons Middle East & Africa 3/20/2026 (Video)
on March 20, 2026 at 8:16 am
- US Yields Continue to Push Higher as Inflation Fears Persist
by David Finnerty on March 20, 2026 at 8:03 amUS Treasury yields continued their advance higher Friday as markets reacted to hawkish comments from central banks and Brent crude oil stayed above $100 a barrel.
- Oil Market Faces 'Higher for Longer' Risk: Saxo Bank
on March 20, 2026 at 8:02 amOle Hansen, commodity strategy head at Saxo Bank, discusses the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on energy markets as oil heads for another weekly gain. Speaking on Bloomberg Television, Hansen says everything "points to a higher for longer" scenario. "It will take time to get that supply back, so higher for longer seems to be the risk right now," he adds. (Source: Bloomberg)
- Greg Brew on Surging Energy and the 'Strategic Trap' of the War in Iran
by Joe Weisenthal, Tracy Alloway on March 20, 2026 at 8:00 amThis Is Iran's Strategy to win.
- Odd Lots: Greg Brew on the US’s Strategic Trap in Iran (Podcast)
- Markets Are Underpricing This Commodity Shock
Markets are underpricing the supply shock stemming from the interruption of oil flows through the […]
- Economists Pivot to See ECB Hikes While Diverging on First Move
Economists are shifting to align with the market view that European Central Bank interest-rate […]
- Rühl: US Almost Out of Options to Keep Oil Price Low
Attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf have escalated in the past two days. […]
- Oil Set for Weekly Surge as Mideast War Heads Toward Fourth Week
Oil headed for another weekly gain as the war in the Middle East dragged on, with the Strait of […]
- Global Stocks Head for Third Weekly Loss Amid War: Markets Wrap
Global equities headed for a third straight weekly drop, the longest streak in a year, as investors […]
- Gold Set for Worst Week in Six Years as War Curbs Rate-Cut Bets
Gold headed for the biggest weekly loss in six years, as war in the Middle East boosted energy and […]
- Traders Overwhelmed by Iran News Are Turning to AI for Help
As Maxence Visseau spent the first few days of the Iran war trying to make sense of what the […]
political news
- Strikes Continue as Trump, Netanyahu Try to Ease Concern
on March 20, 2026 at 8:03 amIsrael said it launched a wave of strikes overnight targeting infrastructure across Tehran, while Iran struck Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery for a second day. On Thursday US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to ease concerns about rising oil and gas prices following tit-for-tat Israeli and Iranian attacks on key energy facilities. Bloomberg's Joumanna Bercetche reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
- Iran Keeps Striking Gulf as Israel Pledges to Spare Energy Sites
by Patrick Sykes, Kateryna Kadabashy on March 20, 2026 at 7:52 amIran pressed ahead with attacks on Arab states in the Persian Gulf even after Israel signaled it would refrain from hitting the Islamic Republic’s energy infrastructure, fueling volatility in markets roiled by the war in the oil-rich region.
- Takaichi Navigates Trump's Pearl Harbor Jibe in DC Visit
on March 20, 2026 at 7:47 amDespite a Pearl Harbor jibe from President Donald Trump, PM Sanae Takaichi showed Japan’s deep ties with the US — and her own agility on the world stage — during her first visit to Washington as a national leader. Alastair Gale has more. (Source: Bloomberg)
- UK Posts Bigger-Than-Forecast Budget Deficit on Debt Costs
by Tom Rees on March 20, 2026 at 7:12 amBritain borrowed more than forecast in February, boosted by a surge in debt-interest costs even before turmoil hit bond markets following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
- Iran Continues Gulf Strikes After Israel Vows to Spare Energy Sites
on March 20, 2026 at 7:11 am
- Israel Says It Won’t Strike Iran Energy Sites After Trump Rebuke
Israel said it will no longer target energy infrastructure after an attack on an Iranian gas field […]
- Strikes on Qatar's LNG Crown Jewel Will Reshape the Future of Gas
The industry is staring down prolonged disruptions in the Persian Gulf. Emerging economies are […]
- Pentagon Seeks $200 Billion for US Campaign Against Iran
The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war against […]
- Trump, Takaichi Unveil $40 Billion US Nuclear Power Project
President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced a nuclear power project […]
- Brazil Finance Minister Fernando Haddad Steps Down Ahead of Elections
Brazil Finance Minister Fernando Haddad announced he will step down from his post ahead of an April […]
Wealth
- Bank of Family That Lent to Popes and Emperors May Be for Sale
by Marton Eder, Arno Schuetze on March 20, 2026 at 5:15 amThe Fugger family was once one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, building trading routes and lending money to Holy Roman Emperors and popes. Now, a private bank founded by one of its descendants may be coming up for sale.
- Billionaires Thiel and Uihlein Pump Millions Into Republican PAC
by Biz Carson, Bill Allison on March 19, 2026 at 8:24 pmBillionaire Peter Thiel, who helped fund Donald Trump’s first run for president, is ramping up his engagement with federal politics again after sitting out the 2024 election cycle.
- Jes Staley’s Wife Files for Divorce After Epstein Fallout
by Chris Dolmetsch on March 19, 2026 at 7:31 pmJes Staley’s wife filed for divorce from the former Barclays Plc chief executive officer who stepped down and was then banned from the UK financial industry over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
- Banks, Treasury Staff Push Back on Citizen-Verification Proposal
by Paige Smith, Saleha Mohsin, Evan Weinberger, Daniel Flatley on March 19, 2026 at 6:50 pmLongtime Treasury employees are pushing back against the Trump administration’s plan to make banks verify citizenship information, amid stiff opposition from lenders.
- Costco Lines, Canceled Trips, Fuel Rewards: Americans Hunt for Cheap Gas
by Casey He, Mark Niquette on March 19, 2026 at 5:01 pmAmericans are looking for ways to cut back as gas prices surge to nearly $4 a gallon due to the Iran war.
Tech & Innovation
- Alibaba Shares Sink After Earnings Report
on March 20, 2026 at 3:59 amMacquarie Capital's Ellie Jiang says this year marks "a reality check" for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. earnings. However, she tells Bloomberg Television that the Chinese company is still "probably the best one to be positioned into this AI front." (Source: Bloomberg)
- OpenAI Plans Desktop App Fusing Chat, Coding and Web Browser
by Rachel Metz on March 20, 2026 at 3:32 amOpenAI is developing a desktop application to bring together its ChatGPT chatbot, coding tool and web browser in an effort to keep users engaged in the face of fierce competition from rivals like Anthropic PBC.
- CATL Hong Kong Rally Drives Record Premium Over Mainland Shares
by April Ma on March 20, 2026 at 3:21 amShares of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. briefly traded at a record premium in Hong Kong over their mainland-listed peers, as strong earnings and energy supply shocks boosted demand for the battery giant.
- Delton Shares Gain 34% in HK Debut After $421 Million Listing
by Charlie Zhu, Kelly Li on March 20, 2026 at 3:21 amDelton Technology Guangzhou Inc.’s shares rose in their Hong Kong trading debut after the Chinese circuit board maker raised HK$3.3 billion ($421 million) in a listing.
- Alibaba, Tencent Shares Lose $66 Billion as AI Vision Falls Flat
by Jeanny Yu, Edwin Chan on March 20, 2026 at 1:47 amAlibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. lost $66 billion of market value in roughly 24 hours, after the market punished the twin leaders of China’s tech arena for failing to lay out clear visions for how to profit off artificial intelligence.
