Iran Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.An underappreciated surplus of crude oil, sloshing around storage tanks and aboard ships, cushioned the global economy when the Persian Gulf closed 2½ months ago.That excess supply is now dwindling at a record pace, with oil executives and analysts predicting that a harsh reckoning is set to upend the relative calm in energy markets. Acute shortages of key fuels and soaring prices could emerge within weeks if the Strait of Hormuz remains shut.The drawdown in private storage and government strategic reserves along with a fall in demand due to the higher prices, has bought time and prevented oil prices from exploding.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: The Indian equity markets witnessed healthy buying in almost all segments as investor sentiment was buoyed by ongoing US–China talks.The Sensex closed 790 points, or 1.06%, higher at 75,398.72, while the Nifty 50 ended at 23,689.60, up 277 points, or 1.18%.NAMINDIA (Cmp ₹1093) BERGEPAINT (Cmp ₹533.90) On 14 May 2026, investor sentiment was buoyed by ongoing US–China talks, with hopes that progress could ease global trade tensions. Oil prices edged higher amid persistent concerns over the Iran conflict, adding to volatility across sectors.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: The Indian rupee’s slide to fresh record lows amid the ongoing West Asia war is prompting calls for deeper structural reforms instead of short-term liquidity measures to stabilize the currency, five market participants told Mint.While the US-Iran conflict has intensified pressure on the rupee, experts said the currency’s weakness predates the war and reflects broader concerns over slowing capital inflows at a time when India’s current account deficit is expected to widen.Since the war began on 28 February, the rupee has declined by 4.6%, according to Bloomberg data. After clocking fresh lows for three consecutive trading sessions, the currency hit a fresh record low of 95.96 per US dollar on Thursday, before trimming losses and ended at 95.64 compared with 95.66 on Wednesday.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spent their first day of bilateral talks on Thursday showing an eagerness to manage the economic rivalry between their countries.Trump talked about the possibility of increased economic ties, and Xi held out the possibility of U.S. companies enjoying “even broader prospects in China.”Even the most glaring point of friction in the talks – a warning from Xi that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict and jeopardize the relationship – could be an opportunity to dial down the tensions if the two economic powerhouses find ways to navigate their complicated relationship.“Trump and Xi are staking out their positions on geopolitical issues that are of particular importance to each of them, while signaling some openness to being more accommodative on other subjects like trade, technology, and market opening,” says Eswar Prasad, a Cornell economics professor and former head of the China division for the International Monetary Fund.China greeted Trump and a delegation of more than a dozen chief executives from U.S.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Gold may be a “barbarous relic,” as John Maynard Keynes once observed, but it remains the relic of choice among central banks. Emerging-market central banks have been loading up on gold reserves ever since the 2008 global financial crisis, more than doubling their holdings. Does the anomalous behaviour of gold prices since the outbreak of the war with Iran call this strategy into question, or is something else going on?Gold’s allure derives from its reputation as a safe haven and inflation hedge.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.AS AN UNEASY truce holds between America and Iran, experts are struggling to predict what new phase the conflict may enter next. Might an artificial-intelligence model know any better? To find out, The Economist asked RAND, a think-tank, to see if its new AI forecasting system thought a popular uprising was in the offing in Iran. Integrated Strategic Forecasting (ISF), as the system is known, put the chance of regime collapse or replacement by the end of 2026 at 20%—higher than many experts would hazard.There are caveats.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.For the last few years, Jerome Powell would walk past a portrait of Arthur Burns on his way to his office, addressing him silently.I’m not going to be you.Burns, the Fed chair under Richard Nixon, embodied two failures: He allowed inflation to get out of control, and he yielded to a president who wanted lower interest rates.Powell faced both hazards—inflation and presidential pressure—and more during his eight years as chair. The Fed won broad credit for its novel pandemic response, took a share of the blame for the high prices that followed and confounded predictions by bringing inflation down without a recession.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kevin Warsh was approved by the Senate as the next chair of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday afternoon, inheriting an economy reckoning with persistent inflation and an increasingly divided group of policymakers.The chamber confirmed him with a vote of 54-45, almost entirely along party lines. Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman was the lone crossover.The vote came just days before Jerome Powell’s term as chair expires Friday.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BEIJING—President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reunited on Thursday morning in Beijing, kicking off a summit centered on improving their economic relationship, as the war in Iran and U.S. commitment to Taiwan loom.Speaking inside the Great Hall of the People, both leaders projected optimism for two days of talks.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: The Indian rupee is sliding from one record low to another, but economists say assigning a precise trajectory to the currency has become increasingly difficult amid the US-Iran war and the resultant crude oil shock.On Wednesday, the Indian currency hit another all-time low of 95.80 per US dollar before closing at 95.66 against its previous close of 95.68, according to data provided by Bloomberg. While the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) intervention trimmed some losses on Tuesday, traders believe the central bank is not intervening as much in the currency market.A Mint poll of 10 banks, brokerages and economists showed the Indian rupee is expected to weaken further through the year, with most forecasts for end-2026 clustering in the 96-98 per dollar range.Amid heightened volatility, only five respondents were willing to offer a near-term forecast, projecting the currency in a broad range of 94.5-96.5 against the US dollar over the next two weeks to one month.Most economists expect the rupee to depreciate 3-4% in the current financial year if crude prices remain elevated.“Currently, it seems that the rupee is trying to head towards 96.5 levels.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.When President Trump arrives in Beijing this week for a summit with Xi Jinping, the Iran file will likely be on the agenda—whether or not either leader wants it there.Just last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made his first trip to Beijing since the war began, a visit timed to land days before Trump’s plane touches down. The choreography was hardly subtle. Tehran wanted to remind Washington that Iran still has a friend in the world’s second-largest economy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Every month, Mint’s Plain Facts gives you an update on key global data to help you thread together the biggest developments worth paying attention to. The accompanying analysis and charts explain how each story is creating ripples on the global stage, where it is headed in the coming weeks, and whether it could have an impact on India.After months of steady cooling, consumer prices are rising once again as the escalating war in West Asia continues to disrupt energy markets and global supply chains.The inflationary shock is most severe in import-reliant Asian economies.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The global situation in the oil market has been steadily worsening. This is putting a huge stress on India. India's petroleum consumption depends on 85% of imported crude oil.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: The Indian equity markets faced a significant "Tuesday Tsunami," with Nifty 50 plunging 1.83% to settle at 23,379.55, while BSE Sensex crashed more than 1,450 points.This sharp correction was primarily fueled by escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, with President Trump’s remarks placing the U.S.-Iran ceasefire on “life support,” subsequently driving Brent crude prices toward $106 per barrel. Locally, the Indian Rupee hit a fresh lifetime low of 95.51 against the dollar, further dampening investor sentiment.The sell-off was broad-based, as reflected in a severely skewed advance-decline ratio, with 590 stocks advancing and 2,726 stocks declining.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call urging people to reduce their use of transport fuels is indeed a need of the hour, given the turmoil in West Asia. Our heavy dependence on imports of crude oil, the raw material for what most motor engines burn, means that India’s policy cushions are wearing thin. The government has thus far used state-owned fuel retailers to absorb much of the oil shock since the end of February, when the Iran war began.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.How long can mutual funds (MFs) hold up stock indices in India? Inflows into equity MFs in April fell 5% from March to ₹38,440.2 crore, according to data issued on Monday by the Association of Mutual Funds in India. This despite the 6.5%-odd rise in the BSE Sensex last month.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The U.S. and Iran are locked in a diplomatic stalemate over issues that have bedeviled the two sides for years, as the conflict settles into a gray zone that is neither war nor peace.The cease-fire is entering its second month and, despite sporadic violence, has now lasted almost as long as the fighting which preceded it. There is little to indicate that either the U.S.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.DUBAI—The United Arab Emirates has carried out military strikes on Iran, people familiar with the matter said, casting the Gulf monarchy as an active combatant in a war in which it has been Iran’s biggest target.Its military is well-equipped with Western-made jet fighters and surveillance networks. And the attacks suggest the country is now more willing to use them to protect its economic power and growing influence across the Middle East.The strikes, which the U.A.E.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Indian equity markets witnessed heavy selling pressure on Monday, 11 May, with the Nifty 50 falling 1.49% to close at 23,815.85, while the Sensex tumbled more than 1,300 points. Risk aversion intensified after the breakdown of US-Iran peace talks pushed Brent crude above $105 a barrel and dragged the rupee to a record closing low of 95.31 against the dollar.Investor sentiment was further weighed down by government calls for austerity, including restraint in fuel and gold consumption, stoking concerns over a potential slowdown in discretionary spending.Sectoral performance was broadly negative.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The US-Iran war has crimped energy supplies, raised fuel prices, threatens to spike India’s import bill and thus strain its foreign exchange reserves. It was in this context that Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens on Sunday to cut fuel use, avoid unnecessary overseas travel and explore domestic destinations instead.For some affluent Indian travellers, that shift is already underway—India's premium domestic destinations are seeing stronger demand, higher occupancies and rising room tariffs this summer.A Delhi-based family of nine abandoned their usual summer plan of a European holiday as business class tickets surged past ₹5 lakh a seat on some key routes, nearly double the typical fares.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The likes of Intel and Micron Technology have powered the market higher in recent weeks but escalating geopolitical worries could scuttle the chip-stocks rally.In a research note published on Monday, Gavekal Research CEO Louis-Vincent Gave named the looming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s premier Xi Jinping as one reason for investors to feel cautious about the semiconductor sector.The two leaders are set to meet in China on Thursday and Friday, Beijing confirmed.Trump needs to replenish the U.S.