Oil Prices Drop After Critical Iraq Export Deal. It's Seismic as Iran Holds Hormuz Hostage.
Not all oil from the Middle East has to flow through the crucial shipping corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.
----
Asia Equities Gain Ahead of Fed, Oil Retreats But Stays High
Asian equity markets advanced broadly on Wednesday after a positive lead from Wall Street overnight, while oil retreated but stayed high as the conflict in the Middle East continued.
----
Powell's Second-to-Last Meeting Previews an Increasingly Divided Fed
As many as three governors are candidates to dissent at this week's meeting, an unusual break that offers a glimpse of the fracture Kevin Warsh stands to inherit.
----
What Happens at the Fed If Kevin Warsh Isn't Confirmed by May 15
The nominee still doesn't have a Senate confirmation hearing date, although Jerome Powell's term as chair technically ends May 15.
----
The 'smart money' on Wall Street hates these bonds - but they may be a golden buying opportunity for you
Three important - and potentially useful - things leap out of the latest BofA fund-manager survey.
----
U.S. Pending-Home Sales Rose in February
The pending home sales index, a leading indicator of house sales based on contract signings, rose 1.8% on month to 72.1. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.6% decline.
----
Bank of Canada to Stand Pat on Rates, Await Fallout From Energy-Price Shock
Economists expect the central bank to hold its policy rate steady as the war in the Middle East threatens to lift inflation expectations.
----
World Bank Embraces Industrial Policy, Abandoning Three Decades of Stigma
The bank published a report in 1993 which helped disparage industrial policy. Governments were instead encouraged to let markets operate without direction or barriers.
----
Chinese Economy's Bright Start Masks Uneven Growth as External Risks Loom
China's economy got off to a solid start this year but that momentum may prove hard to sustain as the world's largest oil importer navigates the conflict in the Middle East and continued pressures at home.
----
German Financial Sentiment Plummets on Iran War
Confidence among investors fell sharply this month as the conflict in the Middle East continued and energy prices surged.
----
Fund managers increased their cash reserves at the outset of war by the most since COVID emerged
The deterioration in investor sentiment from last month to this has been marked but it's nowhere near as bad as it was after Liberation Day in April 2025
----
Fed Keeps Getting Hit With New Shocks in Yearslong Inflation Fight
A series of supply setbacks has kept prices above target for five years. Now officials have to put a number on what that means for interest rates.
----
The Blowup That Exposed How America's Banks Are Entangled in Private Credit
The Western Alliance vs. Jefferies fight exposes risks to bank backing for private credit.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 18, 2026 05:00 ET (09:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.