The latest Market Talks covering Energy markets. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0719 GMT - Yields on U.K. government bonds fall on renewed optimism amid reports that the U.S. and Iran could resume discussions to end the Middle East war. "Investors showed cautious optimism after signals that negotiations could resume despite the recent breakdown, supporting sentiment," IG analysts say in a note. Ten-year gilt yields fall 5.8 basis points to last trade at 4.809%, Tradeweb data show. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)
0711 GMT - Gold prices rise to $4,800 a troy ounce, supported by a softer U.S. dollar and oil below $100 a barrel. In early European trading, New York gold futures rise 0.7% to $4,802.70 an ounce, while silver is up 2.1% to $77.25 an ounce. The U.S. dollar index--which tracks the greenback against a basket of major currencies--slips 0.1% to 98.24. Iran's foreign minister said talks with the U.S. have made progress despite no agreement being made yet, while U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are set to begin Tuesday in Washington. Traders are now awaiting U.S. producer price data, though the run-up to the Federal Reserve's April policy decision is otherwise relatively quiet. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)
0701 GMT - Eurozone government bond yields fall, tracking U.S. Treasury yields lower, as market sentiment improves due to prospects of renewed peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. The prospect of a peace deal, as well as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, is key to keeping energy prices--and inflation--in check. This would also mitigate the growth impact of the Middle East war. Bond supply will be significant in the eurozone on Tuesday. Dutch and German bond auctions are due, alongside France's syndication of a new June 2037-dated green OAT. The 10-year German Bund yield falls 3.2 basis points to 3.055%. The 10-year French OAT yield loses 4.3 basis points to 3.700%, according to Tradeweb. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)
0700 GMT - Oil prices fall back below $100 a barrel as signs that the U.S. and Iran see scope to continue negotiations lifted hopes, but a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz keeps crude elevated. Iran's foreign minister said talks have made progress on several issues, echoing comments from the Trump administration. However, the U.S. has begun blocking maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in order to increase pressure on Tehran. In early European trading, Brent crude slips 0.5% to $98.87 a barrel, while WTI is down 1.5% to $97.56 a barrel. Prices remain up more than 60% year-to-date. "The oil market no longer needs a worst-case escalation to justify higher pricing levels," ANZ analysts say. "Tight balances alone are sufficient to sustain the price of Brent near or above recent threshold levels." (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)
0647 GMT - Nordic markets are seen opening slightly higher, with IG calling the OMXS30 up 0.6% at around 3121. A slightly more gloomy trading day in Europe Monday saw falling stock prices and rising oil prices. However, sentiment turned more positive later in the U.S. session, a development that has also continued in Asia this morning, SEB economist Marcus Widen writes. "Futures prices indicate positive stock market movement when Europe and the U.S. open later today." Although the U.S. has begun the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran has threatened retaliation, hopes for a solution still seem to be steering financial markets and oil prices have fallen back slightly, Widen says. OMXS30 closed at 3102.73, OMXN40 at 2568.71 and OBX at 2004.15. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)
0642 GMT - The dollar trades close to a six-week low as hopes for progress towards ending the Iran war weaken oil prices and improve risk appetite. President Trump said the "right people" still want an Iran-U.S. deal after talks between the two sides collapsed at the weekend. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot that negotiations had made progress on many issues despite failing to reach a deal. The news weakens the dollar due to its safe-haven role and America's energy independence. The DXY dollar index trades steady at 98.361 but remains near a low of 98.297 reached overnight. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)
0635 GMT - Contemporary Amperex Technology is expected to maintain its profitability advantages compared with its peers, say Bernstein analysts in a note. The company is the most profitable battery-cell maker in the world with 16.7% operating profit margin last year, around 10 percentage points higher than its Chinese peers, the analysts say. Most Chinese second-tier battery makers reported operating profit margins of 5% to 10%, while Korean battery-cell makers were at low-single-digit percentages, Bernstein says. CATL's stronger profitability came primarily from cost advantages rather than pricing, the analysts say. Economies of scale and vertical integration of the supply chain have boosted CATL's margins, they add. (jiahui.huang@wsj.com; @ivy_jiahuihuang)
0626 GMT - Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology's revenue will likely grow 43% in 2026, Bernstein analysts write in a note. The company will be able to address margin pressure from increased metal prices given its ability to pass through costs, they add. Energy disruptions stemming from the Middle East conflict will accelerate global electrification and benefit CATL as the leading battery supplier, they say. The recent plan to acquire a 45% stake in Zhongheng Electric will likely further deepen vertical integration across the energy-storage value chain, they add. Bernstein analysts maintain an outperform rating for the stock and raised its target price to 620 yuan from 600 yuan. Shares last at 427 yuan. (jiahui.huang@wsj.com; @ivy_jiahuihuang)
0552 GMT - U.S. Treasury yields edge lower in Asian trade, tracking a fall in oil prices. The fall in yields and oil prices comes as the U.S. and Iran remain open to another round of peace talks following a failed one over the weekend. "Bond markets appear to be growing 'comfortably numb'," says Commerzbank's Christoph Rieger in a note. The two-year Treasury yield declines 1.1 basis points to 3.769%, while the 10-year yield is down 1.6 basis points at 4.280%, according to Tradeweb. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)
0522 GMT - The fact that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran broke down over the weekend is important, but it isn't the dominant input for markets, ING rates strategists say in a note. "Wars between regional powers are not important for global markets. What matters is the ability to get stuff done, and to get hands on stuff," they say. Last week, Iran had control of the Strait of Hormuz, while now it is under U.S. control. "While remaining a-political, that's a more market-friendly outcome, on the theory that the ultimate ambition is to re-open the Strait, fully and unrestricted," the strategists say. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)
0515 GMT - The fundamental problem for markets is not the new U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz itself, but the prospect that it alone will not work to achieve its implicit goals, say Macquarie's Thierry Wizman and Gareth Berry in a note. The U.S. blockade aims to prevent maritime traffic attempting to enter and leave Iranian ports. Those goals are the opening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic or forcing Iran back to the negotiating table with concessions soon, Macquarie's strategists say. "Barring success on both fronts, we are back to where we were on Friday--expecting crude oil prices to stay high," they say. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 14, 2026 03:19 ET (07:19 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments