U.S. stock markets gained on Wednesday. At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 46,566 points, up 0.5 percent from the previous day. A few minutes earlier, the broader S&P 500 was at about 6,575 points, up 0.7 percent, while the Nasdaq composite rose to roughly 24,020 points, up 1.2 percent.
Later that evening, U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled a speech on the current state of the Iran war. Markets had already reacted to his earlier comment that he expects the conflict to last only another two to three weeks. Trump also said that Iran had requested a cease‑fire – a claim the Iranian regime dismissed as “false and unsubstantiated”. When asked whether the strategically important Strait of Hormuz should be reopened to facilitate a cease‑fire or end the war, his statements were contradictory.
The euro strengthened on Wednesday night, trading at 1.1586 U.S. dollars per euro. Consequently, one U.S. dollar was worth 0.8631 euros.
Gold saw robust gains. At night, the price reached $4,769 per troy ounce, a 2.1 percent increase. That equates to about €132.34 per gram.
Oil fell sharply. Brent crude, priced at around 10:00 pm German time, was $101.10 per barrel-29 cents, or 2.8 percent, lower than the close of the previous trading day.
