S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico MarketUK 10-year gilt yields approached 4.9%, close to their highest level since 2008, as escalating US-Iran tensions and surging oil prices intensified concerns over inflation. Diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with no new peace talks scheduled and both sides locked in a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump extended the April 7 truce indefinitely, awaiting a new proposal from Iran, though Iranian officials have ruled out immediate negotiations, pushing Brent crude above $103 per barrel. Domestically, Morgan McSweeney, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will testify next week regarding allegations over the vetting of Peter Mandelson. Labour MP Jonathan Brash intensified pressure on Starmer, arguing that the Mandelson scandal has crippled governance and made the PM’s resignation unavoidable. On the fiscal front, the UK’s March budget deficit reached £12.6 billion, the lowest for March since 2022 but still exceeding the forecasted £10.4 billion.
