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Monday’s session opened under the heaviest geopolitical cloud Wall Street has faced in years. The coordinated U.S.-Israeli military offensive against Iran — dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” — entered its third day with no signs of de-escalation, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, striking more than 2,000 targets across the country according to briefed officials, and triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran that hit targets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Israel. Iran’s Red Crescent reported 555 Iranian casualties. The world’s most critical oil chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz, has effectively closed to commercial traffic. And risk assets…

Free NewsletterGet the hottest Fintech Singapore News once a month in your InboxSEON has released the second edition of its AI Reality Check: 2026 Fraud & AML Leaders Report.Based on a global survey of 1,010 fraud, risk, and compliance leaders across payments, fintech, financial services, retail, eCommerce, and gaming, the report highlights that while AI adoption is nearly universal, operational challenges are increasing.The survey found that 98% of organisations now integrate AI into daily fraud and AML workflows, with 95% confident it works, including 52% who are very confident.AI/ML for transaction monitoring was the most common use case, cited by…

Australia’s top central banker says March rate hike possible

The world’s most important oil chokepoint just went dark — and energy stocks are repricing in real time. Brent crude spiked 13% to $82.37 a barrel Monday morning, the biggest single-session surge in four years, after the U.S. and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran over the weekend in what the Pentagon is calling Operation Epic Fury. The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ending his 36-year rule and throwing the Islamic Republic into its deepest crisis since 1979. Iran retaliated immediately, hitting U.S. military bases across the region and — crucially for energy markets — targeting oil tankers transiting…

Sometimes the smartest strategic move is restraint rather than expansion. That lesson played out clearly last week when confirmed it would not raise its bid for after the latter’s board determined a sweetened takeover proposal from Paramount Skydance Corp was superior.Netflix shares finished the week above $96, marking a gain of close to 30% from the multi-year low hit just days earlier.The stock managed to log four consecutive sessions of gains, one of its more impressive short-term runs in years, with the rally forming in the sessions before the formal announcement.That suggests investors were responding to growing speculation that Netflix…

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Development included a provision temporarily barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency in its bipartisan bill to boost housing in the U.S.The “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” introduced Monday by Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, respectively the top Republican and Democrat on the committee, aims to make it easier to build houses in the U.S.”Not only is this bill about cutting regulatory red tape, lowering costs, and expanding housing supply while generating no new spending, but it’s about making sure people like the…

Dividend stocks are having a moment. With the stock market off to a rocky start so far this year, investors have been turning to the securities for income and perceived safety. The latest bouts of volatility came Monday following air strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel over the weekend. Also weighing on investors this year are fears that artificial intelligence will disrupt certain industries, and recent worries about stagflation. Dividend aristocrats, or companies that have boosted their payouts in each of the past 25 years, are among the strategies outperforming the broader market in 2026. The ProShares…

South Korea factory activity expands for third month on output jump, PMI shows

The market is trying to suss out what the plan is for Iran.Yesterday there was an interview with John Bolton that emphasized that Trump is impulsive and likes to improvise. Trump himself also outlined a 4-5 week timeline, which suggests there is a plan.What’s less clear are the goals of the mission, which might be as simple as wrecking Iran’s military infrastructure. But what if Iran keeps on firing drones and missiles? What if it continues to threaten or attack its neighbours?War can always go sideways, much like it has for Russia in Ukraine. So far Iran doesn’t appear to…

May arabica coffee (KCK26) on Monday closed up +3.85 (+1.37%), and May ICE robusta coffee (RMK26) closed up +148 (+4.08%).Coffee prices settled sharply higher on Monday, with robusta posting a 2-week high.  Supply concerns are supporting coffee prices, as the war in Iran has halted most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, boosting global shipping rates, insurance, and fuel costs, which will raise costs for coffee importers and roasters. Don’t Miss a Day: From crude oil to coffee, sign up free for Barchart’s best-in-class commodity analysis.   Gains in arabica coffee were limited on Monday as beneficial rains in…