【US Stock Market Update】Brent Crude Oil Earlier Dropped 5% Below $100 Mark; Dow Jones Up 580 Points (Continuously Updated)

Iran reiterates that non-hostile ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz after coordination. Marine Traffic data shows that from Monday (23rd) to now, nine ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The news caused oil prices to retreat, with NYMEX May crude falling 4.8% to $87.92, and Brent May crude dropping 5.1% to $99.14.

Iran’s war negotiations are “warming up,” and U.S. stocks rose at the open on Wednesday, with the Dow up 580 points, at 46,704; the S&P 500 up 70 points, at 6,627; and the Nasdaq up 271 points, or 1.3%, at 220,333. NY gold rose 3.5% to $4,588, and spot gold increased 1.8% to $4,556.

In focus stocks, Tesla released an official video of Optimus and revealed details about the robot, including the development environment, reduction gearboxes, and dexterous hands. Tesla Optimus states that it will fundamentally change the labor force and manufacturing economy. Elon Musk said Optimus 3 is expected to start production this summer and could achieve mass production by 2027. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) pre-market rose over 1%, currently at $389.14.

Memory stocks tumbled against the trend, with Micron (NASDAQ: MU) opening down 6%, and Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) dropping more than 7%. The decline was mainly due to South Korea’s SK Hynix (KOSDAQ: 000660) planning to list in the U.S.

Foreign media reports that SK Hynix has submitted confidential filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), planning to issue American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) within the year. SK Hynix spokesperson responded that measures to enhance shareholder value, including issuing ADRs, are under review, but no final decision has been made.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next page

Market Trends:

【17:55】Iran war negotiations “warming up.” Dow futures up 365 points, Nasdaq futures up 1%. Brent crude down 4%, falling below $100.

【14:54】Dow futures up 339 points, at 46,754; S&P 500 futures up 42 points, at 6,648; Nasdaq futures up 160 points, or 0.7%, at 24,374.

【14:54】NYMEX crude down 3.4% to $89.2; Brent crude down 4% to $100.3. Spot gold up 3.3% to $4,578; spot silver up 1.7% to $45.49.

【13:57】【AI+Sora】OpenAI suddenly halts Sora AI video generation, shocking the market. Disney finished a project meeting 30 minutes before being suddenly informed, while OpenAI promoted Sora the day before.

【13:52】【AI+IPO】SK Hynix plans to go public in the U.S. within the year, has filed with SEC, and is rumored to raise up to $10 billion.

【13:32】【US Stock Analysis】U.S. proposes ceasefire with Iran; Dow futures up over 300 points. Analysis: Trump’s TACO, and two major issues to watch in the future.

【11:01】【Iran Situation】JPMorgan’s Dimon: Long-term conflict could lead to lasting peace in the Middle East, as regional powers’ interests align.

【10:48】【US-China Relations】Chinese investment firms are reportedly reconsidering allocations to U.S. asset managers.

【10:26】【AI+AAPL】Is Siri no longer just a voice assistant? Apple upgrades Siri to a chat robot with new “Ask Siri” feature, expected to debut at WWDC in June.

【10:00】【Yen Trend】Yen to HKD at 4.93. Bank of Japan minutes: some members call for timely rate hikes to combat inflation.

【09:58】【US Rate Cuts】Fed Governor Barr: Rates may need to stay unchanged “for a while” amid Middle East risks.

【09:39】【Gold Price Trend】Gold ends nine consecutive declines! Spot gold back above $4,500, with a daily increase of HKD 1,800 per tael.

【08:54】【ARM+Chips】Arm rises 8% after hours, plans to sell its own chips for the first time, expected to generate about $15 billion annually in five years. Meta is its first major customer.

【08:26】【IPO】SpaceX reportedly plans to file for an IPO as early as this week, potentially raising over $75 billion.

【08:23】【Iran Crisis】Trump: Iran will send a big gift today. Rubio and Vance involved in negotiations, on the condition that Iran “must not possess nuclear weapons” (ongoing updates).

【08:01】【AI+Amazon】Software stocks hit hard again; Amazon reportedly developing new AI agents to replace some departments.

$1 and below for March 24 U.S. stock market overview====

Tuesday: U.S. seeks talks with Iran on Thursday; Brent stabilizes, Dow narrows losses

Multiple U.S. media report that the U.S. is engaging with Iran on a ceasefire plan. Axios reports that the U.S. and mediators are discussing the possibility of high-level talks on Thursday, but are still waiting for Tehran’s response.

Market close updates:

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Iran officials deny Trump’s claims of behind-the-scenes negotiations but confirm that the U.S. has sent messages and proposals.

Oil prices are cautious; Brent up 0.2% to $100.17; NYMEX crude up 4.8% to $92.35.

Gold rebounds, spot gold up 1.6% to $4,475.51; spot silver little changed at $71.2194.

U.S. dollar index up 0.3% at 99.23; 10-year U.S. Treasury yield at 4.36%.

U.S. stocks are slightly weaker; Dow fell 438 points to a low of 45,769, closing down 84 points at 46,124; S&P 500 down 0.4% at 6,556; Nasdaq down 0.8% at 21,761.

Trump has delayed the final ultimatum by five days, but Israel and Iran continue sporadic attacks. Pakistan’s prime minister says he is willing to host U.S.-Iran talks to resolve ongoing conflicts.

Market sources say Iran has begun collecting tolls from some ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, charged on a per-ship basis, with a maximum of $2 million per voyage, effectively creating an informal “toll” in this waterway. Some ships have paid, but the payment mechanism and currency are unclear.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported Tuesday that, after close coordination with authorities, a Thai-flagged ship successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Israeli media Ynet, U.S. has set April 9 as the target date to end the Iran conflict, meaning over half a month for fighting and negotiations. Washington is trying to end hostilities by late April.

If the conflict ends around April 9 as planned, Trump plans to visit Israel around May 14, before or after Independence Day. Pakistan and other countries are actively mediating, trying to arrange indirect U.S.-Iran communication, possibly initial contacts this week in Pakistan, but no official confirmation from either side.

Additionally, according to CCTV citing Russian media, Omani journalist and international relations researcher Salem Al-Jahuri confirmed on BBC Arabic that the U.S. is pressuring Gulf countries to pay huge sums for U.S. involvement in Iran conflicts.

The report states Trump is demanding large “protection fees” from Arab allies—either $5 trillion (about HKD 39 trillion) to continue the conflict or $2.5 trillion (about HKD 19.5 trillion) to end it, claiming this as compensation for “achieved results.”

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next page

Market Trends:

【22:50】Iran collecting “toll” from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 88 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 3%.

【21:30】Pakistan ready to host U.S.-Iran talks; Dow down 338 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 4%.

【18:00】【Iran Crisis】Hope for U.S.-Iran war? Rumors of Trump’s huge protection fee: $2.5 trillion to end the war.

【16:00】【Iran Crisis】U.S. sets April 9 as “End of War” date; Iran denies.

【14:00】Dow futures down 258 points, at 46,264; S&P futures down 38 points, at 6,596; Nasdaq futures down 150 points, or 0.6%, at 24,258.

【14:00】Oil prices rebound; NYMEX crude at $91.6, up nearly 4%; Brent at $103.4, up 3.4%. Gold continues to weaken; NY gold down 0.9% at $4,400; spot gold at $4,357.

【14:00】【Iran Crisis】DBS: Short-term gold prices likely to fluctuate with Middle East conflict; maintains year-end target of $6,250.

【13:23】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI reportedly offers generous terms to private equity firms, with a 17.5% minimum return, competing for enterprise AI market.

【13:08】【OnlyFans】Billionaire owner Leonid Radvinsky of OnlyFans dies of cancer at 43.

【12:34】【Gold Price Trend】Gold continues to decline after nine straight drops; HKD per two ounces falls below HKD 40,000.

【12:15】【Switch 2】Nintendo plans to cut Switch 2 production by about 33% this quarter; reduction may continue into April.

【11:51】【Gold Price Trend】Gold plunges over 20% from high, entering bear market; Morgan Stanley: funds flowing from safe-haven assets to stocks, positive for U.S. stocks.

【11:19】【Iran Crisis】Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga orders assessment of oil-related supply chains amid crisis; Ministry of Finance reportedly consulting on possible intervention in crude oil futures.

【10:36】【AI+Investing】BlackRock CEO: AI wave may worsen wealth inequality; investors should hedge risks through stock holdings.

【08:37】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI states reliance on Microsoft in investor documents poses risks; what other risks exist?

【08:08】【Iran Crisis】Federal Reserve official Daly: U.S. economy faces at least two scenarios; the Fed needs to stay flexible to manage risks.

【07:48】【AI+Apple】Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference WWDC26 scheduled for June 8, expected to unveil a series of AI features.

【06:32】【Iran Crisis】Iranian Parliament Speaker denies negotiations with Trump; UK destroyer “Rong” arrives in Mediterranean (ongoing updates).

$1 and below for March 23 U.S. stock market overview====

Monday: Trump’s remarks still questioned; Dow gains halved to 631 points, oil down 10%

U.S. President Trump claims negotiations with Iran have paused attacks on power plants, causing oil prices to fall and stocks to rebound. The Dow once rose 1,134 points, reaching 46,712; the S&P 500 rose 2.2%, hitting 6,651; and the Nasdaq rose 2.5%, reaching 22,189. The gains narrowed at close, with the Dow up 631 points at 46,208, the S&P up 1.1% at 6,581, and the Nasdaq up 1.4% at 21,946.

Market close updates:

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Oil once fell 14.1%, closing down 10%, with NYMEX crude at $88.13 and Brent at $100.5. Spot gold once dropped 7% to $4,099.18, closing down 1.9% at $4,407.18.

Macquarie’s global FX and rates strategist Thierry Wizman said, “We remain cautious about early reports of breakthroughs and tweets,” believing that the war is unlikely to last beyond April, as Iran’s threat may weaken. However, large-scale military actions are unlikely to end within this week.

Trump posted on Truth Social that negotiations with Iran went smoothly over the past two days, and he has instructed the U.S. military to suspend all attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, contingent on successful ongoing talks.

Trump later said that multiple agreements had been reached in negotiations and that discussions about Iran’s leadership candidates had taken place. He also claimed Iran had agreed to abandon nuclear weapons. But he warned that if talks break down, bombing will continue.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency later quoted Iranian sources denying any negotiations with the U.S., stating that no talks have taken place. They also indicated that U.S. attacks continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-conflict conditions. Another agency, Mehr, cited Iranian Foreign Ministry officials saying Trump’s comments aim to lower energy prices and buy time for military plans.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry responded that there are some initiatives to ease tensions, but Iran’s stance is that the U.S. should be the dialogue partner, as Iran did not initiate the war.

Trump further responded that negotiations took place on the evening of Sunday (22nd), emphasizing Iran’s eagerness to reach an agreement, and expressed confusion over why Iranian media refuted his statements.

T. Rowe Price noted that after the Iran attack, gold initially surged as a typical safe-haven move, but the rally was short-lived as markets quickly reinterpreted the event as a geopolitical risk. Investors did not see it as a sustained geopolitical crisis but rather as inflation driven by energy prices. This shift pushed real yields higher, strengthened the dollar, and dampened gold’s appeal.

Gold had already gained significantly before the event, limiting further safe-haven inflows. The outlook remains influenced by macro and geopolitical factors. In the short term, real yields and central bank policies will be key, along with energy prices and dollar trends. The firm still views gold as a strategic asset rather than a short-term trading tool. Structural demand from central banks and policy uncertainty provide some support, though short-term prices may remain volatile.

Hong Kong stocks and ADR markets are continuously updating. For details, see: Next page

Market Trends:

【22:15】Iran collecting tolls from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz; Dow down 88 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 3%.

【21:30】Pakistan ready to host U.S.-Iran talks; Dow down 338 points, Nasdaq down 0.6%, oil rebounds 4%.

【18:00】【Iran Crisis】Hope for U.S.-Iran war? Rumors of Trump’s huge protection fee: $2.5 trillion to end the war.

【16:00】【Iran Crisis】U.S. sets April 9 as “End of War” date; Iran denies.

【14:00】Dow futures down 258 points, at 46,264; S&P futures down 38 points, at 6,596; Nasdaq futures down 150 points, or 0.6%, at 24,258.

【14:00】Oil prices rebound; NYMEX crude at $91.6, up nearly 4%; Brent at $103.4, up 3.4%. Gold continues to weaken; NY gold down 0.9% at $4,400; spot gold at $4,357.

【14:00】【Iran Crisis】DBS: Short-term gold prices likely to fluctuate with Middle East conflict; maintains year-end target of $6,250.

【13:23】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI reportedly offers generous terms to private equity firms, with a 17.5% minimum return, competing for enterprise AI market.

【13:08】【OnlyFans】Billionaire owner Leonid Radvinsky of OnlyFans dies of cancer at 43.

【12:34】【Gold Price Trend】Gold continues to decline after nine straight drops; HKD per two ounces falls below HKD 40,000.

【12:15】【Switch 2】Nintendo plans to cut Switch 2 production by about 33% this quarter; reduction may continue into April.

【11:51】【Gold Price Trend】Gold plunges over 20% from high, entering bear market; Morgan Stanley: funds flowing from safe-haven assets to stocks, positive for U.S. stocks.

【11:19】【Iran Crisis】Prime Minister Suga orders assessment of oil-related supply chains amid crisis; Ministry of Finance reportedly consulting on possible intervention in crude oil futures.

【10:36】【AI+Investing】BlackRock CEO: AI wave may worsen wealth inequality; investors should hedge risks through stock holdings.

【08:37】【AI+OpenAI】OpenAI states reliance on Microsoft in investor documents poses risks; what other risks exist?

【08:08】【Iran Crisis】Federal Reserve official Daly: U.S. economy faces at least two scenarios; the Fed needs to stay flexible to manage risks.

【07:48】【AI+Apple】Apple’s annual WWDC scheduled for June 8, expected to unveil a series of AI features.

【06:32】【Iran Crisis】Iranian Parliament Speaker denies negotiations with Trump; UK destroyer “Rong” arrives in Mediterranean (ongoing updates).