{
  "id": 9340082,
  "title": "Global stocks stall, oil ticks up as investors await Mideast peace signals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/global-stocks-stall-oil-ticks-up-as-investors-await-mideast-peace-9340082",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-23T12:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/23/global-stocks-stall-oil-ticks-up-as-investors-await-mideast-peace-signals"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Global equity markets paused on Wednesday after four consecutive days of gains as oil prices nudged higher and investors awaited updates on Middle East peace negotiations. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures on Wall Street slipped 0.07% and 0.27%, respectively. Oil prices rose on expectations of increased supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. However, caution remained as previous hopes for oil flow improvements had been short-lived. US President Donald Trump reported progress in talks with Iran in New York, but warned of potential destruction if a deal was not reached. Cole Smead, CEO of Smead Capital Management, noted the market's momentum-driven nature, with investors hesitant to act on headlines. The STOXX 600 index in Europe declined 0.42% to 640.16 points, while Brent crude futures increased 0.62% to $98.86 per barrel. The MSCI Global Stock Index slipped 0.11% after four days of gains. Markets are watching Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's address to the UN General Assembly later on Wednesday, with speculation he may engage in talks with Trump. In Asia, technology stocks benefited from continued interest in AI applications, with South Korean shares up 0.9% and Taiwan's benchmark nearing all-time highs. The data hardware sector was buoyed by strong consumer demand for Meta's AI app, Meta Muse, which topped US app download charts in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to visit Washington, where expectations of a trade truce extension and collaboration on AI were high. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday, but Nikkei futures showed a 1,400-point gain from the previous trading session. Analysts anticipated a strong reopening in Japan the following day, with potential further declines in crude oil prices and stable interest rates and Treasuries. US President Trump's call for a ban on US diesel exports raised concerns about European inflation, as the region heavily relied on US shipments of the fuel. The US dollar surged to multi-week highs against the euro, British pound, and Canadian dollar, while the euro hovered near a two-month low. Higher interest rates were seen as a positive sign, and the prospect of a rate hike supported the dollar's strength.",
  "summary": "A sustained resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz would help keep inflation in check, which in turn would impact the global outlook for interest rates.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Global stocks stall, oil ticks up as investors await Mideast peace signals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/global-stocks-stall-oil-ticks-up-as-investors-await-mideast-peace",
        "published": "2026-09-23T12:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}