Latest market news
Independent UK financial coverage with full source attribution.
GM Q2 2026 update — filings and holdings
ACN Q3 2026: filings, holdings, and macro context
Trump announces Intel-Apple US chip deal; INTC rises 9% premarket
Intel (INTC) rose more than 9% in premarket trading and Apple (AAPL) also moved in premarket activity after President Trump announced on 18 June 2026 that the two companies would collaborate on domestically manufactured semiconductors, with Intel's foundry division named as the manufacturer.
Bank of England holds rate at 3.75% in 7-2 MPC vote
The Bank of England kept its benchmark rate at 3.75% on 18 June 2026 following a 7-2 vote; GBPUSD, the 10-year UK Gilt, and the FTSE100 were named in coverage as instruments connected to the decision.
SNB holds rate at zero, flags franc appreciation risk and FX intervention readiness
The Swiss National Bank held its policy rate at zero on 18 June 2026 and signalled heightened readiness to intervene in foreign exchange markets against franc strength. USD/CHF and EUR/CHF featured in coverage as instruments central to the SNB's monitoring framework.
US blockades Iranian vessels, imposes 20% Hormuz fee; Brent rises 8%
Brent crude climbed above $82 per barrel and WTI rose past $77 per barrel, each gaining more than 8% on the session, after President Trump reinstated a blockade on Iranian vessels and announced a 20% transit fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz on 14 July 2026. Gold fell $95 following the announcement.
PBOC introduced refined monetary policy rate regime on 18 June 2026
The People's Bank of China introduced a refined monetary policy rate regime on 18 June 2026, with Chinese government bonds, onshore CNY, and offshore CNH named in Bloomberg Markets coverage as the principal instruments connected to the change.
AI executives met G7 leaders on governance; no market moves reported
Executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind attended G7 Summit discussions on 17–18 June 2026 covering AI standards, frontier risks, and infrastructure. Alphabet (GOOGL) was named in coverage due to DeepMind's participation; no concrete market price movements were reported in connection with the summit.
US-Iran MOU signed; WTI crude fell 8.73%, Brent dropped below $77
August WTI crude futures settled at $75.22, down $7.22 or 8.73%, and Brent crude fell below $77 per barrel following a reported US-Iran memorandum of understanding and Strait of Hormuz reopening; US-listed oil, gas, and shipping names featured in coverage.
Fed holds rates at 3.5%-3.75%; dot plot signals 2026 hike
The FOMC voted unanimously to hold rates at 3.5%-3.75% at Chair Kevin Warsh's first meeting, while the updated dot plot's median rose to 3.8% for year-end 2026.