Financial News

EMEA Natural Gas Update: Futures Slip Despite Fragile Ceasefire, Persistent Iran Attacks

European natural gas futures were down on Friday, despite the fragile nature of the ceasefire between the US and Iran, and Tehran's continued attacks against regional energy infrastructure.The front-month Dutch TTF contract fell 2.06% to 45.22 euros ($52.81) per megawatt-hour, while UK NBP futures lost 2.36% to 114.00 pence ($1.50) per therm. Dutch TTF was set to end the week down by 9.58%, while UK gas was down 9.73%, according to data from Trading Economics.Iran's state-run media, on Friday, dismissed reports of senior officials visiting Pakistan to hold diplomatic talks with the US, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.The Tasnim News Agency reportedly reiterated the country's stance on the peace talks, saying, "As long as the [US] does not fulfill its commitment to the ceasefire in Lebanon and the Zionist regime continues its attacks, the negotiations are on hold."Meanwhile, Tehran continued targeting regional energy infrastructure, striking a key Saudi pipeline facility on Thursday and disrupting roughly 700,000 barrels per day of oil flows, according to various news outlets.Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of Adnoc, the UAE's state-owned oil company, said that despite the ceasefire being announced earlier this week, the Strait of Hormuz was not open.Access to the crucial Strait, which handles 20% of global LNG flows, he said, was still being "restricted, conditioned and controlled," in a social media post on Thursday.As the Strait's closure is set to enter its seventh week, just 9 vessels transited through it over the past 24 hours, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.This is in sharp contrast to the typical daily average of 138 ships per day, according to the UK's Joint Maritime Information Center, which noted that there were no new vessel attacks over the past 24 hours.Daniel Hynes, a senior commodity strategist at ANZ, said there was "no end in sight to the impasse," as LNG tankers continued to remain stuck in the Persian Gulf.Hynes also added that the resulting supply tightness was being compounded by the outages in Australia's LNG facilities, with Chevron's Wheatstone gas facility operating at jsut 50% of capacity, due to damage from Cyclone Narelle last month.All of this comes at a critical juncture for European markets, as the region enters refilling season with low inventories, at just 28.92% of capacity, compared to 34.97% last year, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

EMEA Oil Update: Brent Futures Rise Amid Middle East Tension

Brent futures gained more than 1% on Friday with Hormuz Straittraffic mostly still stuck and after Saudi Arabia reported a 10% drop in export capacity after a reported Iranian attack on its East-West pipeline.The Brent futures contract gained 1.6% to $97.37 per barrel. Murban closed at $99.62 on April 9 and was not trading as of the time of publication of this oil price update."Oil extended gains for a second session amid fresh Middle East supply concerns. Saudi Arabia reportedly saw production capacity reduced by around [600,000] b/d following attacks on its energy infrastructure, equivalent to roughly 10% of typical crude exports," ING analysts noted.An April 9-dated news article by the Saudi Press Agency citing the Energy Ministry referred to an attack "recently" on a pumping station on the East-West pipeline, which it said caused a loss of about 700,000 barrels in throughput.It did not make mention of the origin of the attack but a source told Reuters on Wednesday that it came from Iran, damaging Saudi Arabia's main alternative route to export markets since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Market analysts warned that the damage to infrastructure may cause long-term disruptions. Oil and gas output has already been scaled back, and refinery operations remain curtailed, meaning it could take weeks or months to fully reverse the supply shock.Analysts from ING noted that while there was initial optimism regarding a resolution to the six-week conflict, geopolitical risk premiums remain high following new threats from Washington toward Tehran.US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday amid reports that Tehran has started charging transit fees on tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, as shipping through the key waterway remains largely restricted despite the ceasefire deal."There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait," Trump said in a social media post on Truth Social, "They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!"According to TRM Labs Thursday note, Iran's new toll framework requires payments of up to $2 million per vessel payable in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan.Adding further pressure, the Tass news agency reported, citing a senior Iranian source, that Iran will limit transit to a maximum of 15 ships per day.The source reportedly said that under the current ceasefire, "fewer than 15 ships per day" will be permitted to sail via the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.All eyes are now on the high-stakes talks between a US delegation and Iranian officials scheduled for this weekend.

Grail Insider Sold Shares Worth $2,286,526, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Aaron Freidin, Chief Financial Officer, on April 08, 2026, sold 45,806 shares in Grail (GRAL) for $2,286,526. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Freidin has control over a total of 260,669 common shares of the company, with 260,669 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1699031/000162828026024551/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775775505.xml

Grail Insider Sold Shares Worth $6,164,923, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Robert P Ragusa, Director, Chief Executive Officer, on April 08, 2026, sold 123,502 shares in Grail (GRAL) for $6,164,923. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Ragusa has control over a total of 518,582 common shares of the company, with 518,582 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1699031/000162828026024550/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775775497.xml

Grail Insider Sold Shares Worth $3,078,169, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Joshua J. Ofman, Director, President, on April 08, 2026, sold 61,665 shares in Grail (GRAL) for $3,078,169. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Ofman has control over a total of 371,216 common shares of the company, with 371,216 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1699031/000162828026024549/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775775489.xml

Edwards Lifesciences Insider Sold Shares Worth $1,040,544, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Scott B. Ullem, Corporate Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, on April 09, 2026, sold 13,000 shares in Edwards Lifesciences (EW) for $1,040,544. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Ullem has control over a total of 306,017 common shares of the company, with 39,699 shares held directly and 266,318 controlled indirectly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1099800/000122520826004476/xslF345X05/doc4.xml

Klaviyo Insider Sold Shares Worth $3,726,000, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Andrew Bialecki, 10% Owner, Director, Co-Chief Executive Officer, on April 07, 2026, sold 200,000 shares in Klaviyo (KVYO) for $3,726,000.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1835830/000147083126000355/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775779441.xml

SailPoint Insider Sold Shares Worth $1,015,498, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Brian Carolan, Chief Financial Officer, on April 07, 2026, sold 84,416 shares in SailPoint (SAIL) for $1,015,498. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Carolan has control over a total of 1,786,212 common shares of the company, with 1,786,212 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2030781/000127971426000018/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775779233.xml

SailPoint Insider Sold Shares Worth $1,023,484, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Matt Mills, President, on April 07, 2026, sold 83,688 shares in SailPoint (SAIL) for $1,023,484. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Mills has control over a total of 2,451,334 common shares of the company, with 2,451,334 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2030781/000178688326000020/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775779227.xml

SailPoint Insider Sold Shares Worth $2,781,833, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Mark D. McClain, Director, Chief Executive Officer, on April 07, 2026, sold 227,464 shares in SailPoint (SAIL) for $2,781,833. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, McClain has control over a total of 8,374,663 common shares of the company, with 8,305,324 shares held directly and 69,339 controlled indirectly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2030781/000172249826000022/xslF345X05/wk-form4_1775779200.xml

Jabil Insider Sold Shares Worth $2,713,611, According to a Recent SEC Filing

Michael Dastoor, Director, Chief Executive Officer, on April 08, 2026, sold 9,467 shares in Jabil (JBL) for $2,713,611. Following the Form 4 filing with the SEC, Dastoor has control over a total of 253,099 common shares of the company, with 253,099 shares held directly.SEC Filing:https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/898293/000122520826004477/xslF345X05/doc4.xml

Japan Shares Rise as Oil Stockpile Release Eases Supply Concerns

Japanese shares closed the week higher after the government said it would release 20 days' worth of oil reserves from May to stabilize domestic supply and offset disruptions linked to Middle East tensions.The Nikkei 225 rose 1.84%, or 1,028.79 points, to close at 56,924.11.The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, but Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade continues to strain global energy supplies. Japan, which depends on the Middle East for about 95% of its oil, began releasing reserves on March 16 under a 50-day plan with allies.An additional 20 days' supply will come from public stockpiles. As of April 7, Japan held reserves covering 228 days, including 143 days in government stockpiles, and will act independently while coordinating with the International Energy Agency.In economic news, Japan's producer prices rose in March, with the corporate goods price index up 0.8% on month and 2.6% on year, driven by higher fuel and import costs, while export prices rose 0.8% and import prices gained 1.5%.Japan's bank lending rose 4.8% on year in March to about 667.021 trillion yen, accelerating from February, led by major banks, while regional and shinkin banks saw slower growth.On the corporate front, Astroscale (TYO:186A) shares rose 8% after its Japan unit secured a 1.25 billion yen grant from JAXA for a space technology project focused on in-orbit refueling.W Scope (TYO:6619) shares fell 16% after it said it missed Prime Market tradable market cap requirements, citing weak EV demand and risk of delisting if unmet by 2027.Toho (TYO:8129) shares slipped 3% after it extended its review period for a proposed large-scale share purchase by 3D Investment Partners to April 28.

Australian Shares Flat; Magellan Financial Group Shareholders Approve Barrenjoey Merger

Australian shares were flat with a negative bias on Friday's close, as investors await talks between the US and Iran on ending the conflict in Pakistan this weekend.The S&P/ASX 200 Index was little changed to close at 8,960.60.US President Donald Trump said Iran was doing a "very poor job" of allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is seeking to collect a toll on oil tankers passing through the strait. Brent crude futures rose 1% to $96.83 per barrel.On the domestic front, the total number of dwellings approved in Australia rose nearly 30% to 19,022 in February from 14,669 in the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.A disparity between supply and demand has resulted in divergent home value trends in Australia over the past several years, Cotality said in a report. Between the first quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2025, the sharpest growth in home values was concentrated in states where population growth has significantly exceeded the rate of dwelling completions, pointing to Western Australia and Queensland as primary examples.Bendigo Bank Chief Economist David Robertson expects the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to hold the cash rate steady in May, but a third rate hike for the year is likely in August.In company news, Magellan Financial Group (ASX:MFG) said its shareholders approved a resolution to issue consideration shares to the Barrenjoey parties and an affiliate of Barclays as part of a proposed merger at an extraordinary general meeting on Friday.Fortescue (ASX:FMG) ramped up the delivery of an industrial, fully-integrated green energy grid amid plans to power all of its operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region for 24-hour periods without fossil fuels in 2027. Its shares fell 1% on market close.Lastly, Life360 (ASX:360) laid off an undisclosed number of employees, as part of plans to reshape the company into an "AI-native model," according to a social media post by Chief Executive Lauren Antonoff. Its shares closed down 3%.

New Zealand Shares Fall Amid Ceasefire Doubts After Israeli Attack on Lebanon; Kiwi Property Group Appoints CFO

New Zealand shares closed lower on Friday as investors remain worried about the durability of the Iran-US ceasefire after Israel attacked Lebanon.The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 0.7% or 92.37 points to close at 13,181.44."The US-Iran ceasefire led to a sharp recovery in Asian markets, but the risk-on sentiment got ​tested yesterday," said Rupal Agarwal, Asia quant strategist at Bernstein in Singapore, as quoted by Reuters."We believe this could be the beginning ⁠of the end and is presenting an opportunity for investors to focus on pre-war trends and fundamentals. We recommend adding back ​some beaten-down names," Agarwal added.In domestic news, the average weekly rent in March across Auckland for properties with over five bedrooms came in at about NZ$1,030, down 0.2% year over year, according to data from Barfoot & Thompson.Also, the fuel price in New Zealand is driven by a mix of global and domestic factors, including the price of crude oil in US dollars, refining margins, international freight, insurance costs, the New Zealand dollar exchange rate, as well as the cost of distributing fuel around the country, and other wholesaler and retailer costs and margins, ANZ Research saidFurther, New Zealand's manufacturing sector continued to expand in March, but momentum eased as sentiment weakened, with firms increasingly citing global uncertainty, including the war in Iran, as a growing headwind, BusinessNZ said.In corporate news, Kiwii Property Group (NZE:KPG) appointed Sarah Theodore as chief financial officer, effective late July.PaySauce's (NZE:PYS) annual recurring revenue (ARR) rose 6% year on year to NZ$8.9 million in the fiscal fourth quarter.

ASX Midday Sector Update: Real Estate Stocks Marginally Higher, Information Technology Falls

Real estate stocks were marginally higher in midday trading Friday, as all other sectors flashed red amid continued uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran ceasefire and the passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.Shares of GPT Group (ASX:GPT) rose less than 1% after the company said it continues to expect full-year 2026 funds from operations of about AU$0.354 per security, representing growth of roughly 4%.Information technology stocks fell 3% to lead broader declines, followed closely by energy stocks, which were down 2%.NOVONIX (ASX:NVX) was up almost 4% after saying the US Government has certified its Riverside project in connection with $103 million in tax credits previously allocated under the Advanced Energy Project Credit Program.

NZX Midday Sector Update: Commercial Services Advance, Technology Services Decline

Commercial services shares gained the most on the New Zealand Exchange, rising 1% by midday Friday.PGG Wrightson (NZE:PGW) gained more than 1% in recent trade.Meanwhile, technology services shares fell past 2%.Westpac Banking (NZE:WBC, ASX:WBC) was down almost 4% in recent trade.

South Korean Shares Open Higher Ahead of US-Iran Ceasefire Talks in Islamabad

South Korean shares started the trading day on a higher note on Friday as Iran and the US gear up for ceasefire talks in Pakistan's Islamabad later in the day.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, rose 98.11 points or 1.69% to open at 5,876.12. The KOSDAQ also increased 13.14 points or 1.22% to start trading at 1,089.14.Iran continues to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz, requiring vessels to seek transit permission, while US President Donald Trump warned against imposing tolls on oil tankers.Tehran accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement by allowing Israel's attacks on Lebanon, which the White House refuted. Meanwhile, the US is planning to host talks aimed at securing a Lebanon-Israel truce.Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel seeks direct talks with Lebanon on disarming Tehran-backed Hezbollah and enforcing peace ties, adding that no ceasefire is in place. Lebanese officials said no formal invitation for talks has been received and stressed there will be "no negotiations under fire."

Japanese Stocks Up Marginally on Friday's Opening Session Ahead of US-Iran Talks

Japanese shares moved higher at the start of Friday's trading session, although investor sentiment remained guarded due to an unstable ceasefire in the Middle East just before scheduled US-Iran negotiations over the weekend.The Nikkei 225 rose 0.7%, or 370.5 points, to 56,265.77 at the opening bell.Crude oil prices saw a roughly 1% increase, climbing to just under $97 per barrel, following President Donald Trump's warning to Iran about fees imposed on vessels transiting the strategically critical but largely closed Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to engage in direct talks with Lebanon, primarily aimed at disarming Hezbollah, which is aligned with Tehran, according to various reports.In economic data, the U.S. recorded a slower expansion in the last quarter of 2025 than earlier estimated, while the Asian Development Bank warned that even with stable oil prices, the Middle East conflict's ripple effects across manufacturing and tourism would likely slow Asia's economic growth.The ADB projects that advanced economies in Asia and the Pacific will see growth ease from 2.5% last year to 2.2% in 2026, driven by deceleration in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, with inflation in developing Asia expected to accelerate to 3.6% this year from 3% in 2025, primarily due to higher energy costs.

ASX Preview: Australian Shares to Fall as Middle East Conflict Escalates; Fortescue Ramps Up Delivery of Industrial, Integrated Green Energy Grid to Eliminate Use of Diesel

Australian shares are poised to fall on Friday as escalating fears of a Middle East conflict, including intensified Israeli strikes in Lebanon, threats around the Strait of Hormuz, and fragile ceasefire diplomacy involving Iran and the US, weigh on global risk sentiment and energy supply outlooks.Overnight, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each rose 0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.8%.In the macroeconomy, Australia's home values are diverging sharply across states, with the strongest growth in Western Australia and Queensland as population gains outpace new housing supply and construction pipelines remain tight, Cotality said in a Friday report.In corporate news, Fortescue (ASX:FMG) is targeting the elimination of diesel as a fuel as part of an industrial, fully-integrated green energy grid dedicated to eliminating fossil fuels, planning to power all of its operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region for 24-hour periods without fossil fuels in 2027, according to a Friday Australian bourse filing.Monadelphous Group (ASX:MND) has secured new construction and maintenance contracts and extensions worth around AU$145 million across key resource sector operations in Australia and Papua New Guinea, according to a Friday filing with the Australian bourse.Australia's benchmark index rose 0.2% or 21.4 points to close at 8,973.20 on Thursday.

Trump Says Iran Doing 'Very Poor Job' Allowing Oil Through Hormuz, Not Honoring Agreement