Global Energy Roundup: Market Talk

The latest Market Talks covering Energy markets. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.

0734 GMT - Brent crude rises above $90 a barrel as prospects for a near-term peace deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fade. In early European trading, the global oil benchmark is up 0.1% to $91.04 a barrel, while WTI futures gain 0.5% to $84.95 a barrel. "President Trump indicated little interest in extending the expired agreement with Iran, while major differences remain over Hormuz," says Soojin Kim from MUFG. Meanwhile, shipping security risks remain. Yemen's Iranian-allied Houthi rebels are escalating attacks along the country's Red Sea coast, pushing closer to the key Bab al-Mandeb Strait. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0734 GMT - Yields on U.K. government bonds, or gilts, climb, tracking rises in Treasurys and other developed-market peers, due to increasing concerns about a prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict. Fears about extended energy-supply shocks and high oil prices are intensifying inflation worries. This causes markets to expect that central banks could have to raise interest rates and raises concerns about potential long-term economic damage. U.K. 30-year gilt yields hit a 3-month high of 5.848%, LSEG data show. Ten-year gilt yields hit a 3.5-week high of 5.095%. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)

0728 GMT - Bitcoin falls slightly as concerns about persistent tensions between the U.S. and Iran dent risk sentiment. President Trump said he is not seeking an extension of the 60-day U.S. ceasefire with Iran which expired Monday. He also threatened to bomb Oman as he claimed the Gulf nation might be standing in the way of a peace deal. Bitcoin falls 0.2% to $64,261, LSEG data show. Bitcoin holding near $64,000 despite geopolitical pressure, exchange-traded fund outflows and crypto regulatory uncertainty signals improving resilience, although it doesn't yet prove institutional demand has fully returned, Zaye Capital Markets analyst Naeem Aslam says in a note. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

0708 GMT - The German 10-year Bund yield rises to a 15-year high of 3.249% in opening trade, as eurozone government bond yields increase together with U.S. Treasury yields. Rising U.S. government spending, pointing to a challenging fiscal outlook, are a key factor behind higher Treasury yields. Additionally, yields rise as a lack of progress towards a resolution in the U.S.-Iran conflict keeps oil prices high, intensifying inflationary pressures. "Progress towards normalising tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has stalled, and Trump's threat of military action against Oman added to tensions," Danske's Filip Andersson says in a note. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)

0656 GMT - The dollar recovers slightly as oil prices rise after President Trump said he is not seeking an extension of the U.S. ceasefire with Iran which expired Monday. Trump also threatened to bomb Oman if the Gulf nation "gets in the way." The news provides some support to the dollar due to its safe-haven role and America's position as a net energy exporter. It also increases the prospect of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. However, markets are no longer fully pricing a rate rise by year-end after recent weak data. The recent scaling back of rate-rise bets sent the DXY dollar index to a 10-week low of 99.294 Monday. The index is last up 0.1% at 99.673. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

0632 GMT - Artificial-intelligence data centers are expected to move closer to adopting 800V direct-current power systems as demand for more powerful AI chips continues to rise, according to a Digitimes Research report. Although Nvidia isn't expected to introduce major power-related changes in 2026, power semiconductor suppliers are already rolling out products designed for future AI server platforms. Digitimes analyst Chiayang Yao says the transition is likely to accelerate with the mass production of Nvidia's Rubin Ultra GPUs in 2027. The report also highlights growing demand for next-generation power technologies that can boost energy efficiency and support higher computing workloads. As 800V systems become more standardized, competition is expected to center on cost, efficiency, power density and supply reliability, Yao says. (jie.yang@wsj.com)

0549 GMT - Rising energy prices amid resilient macro data amplify headwinds for bond markets after key levels were taken out, Commerzbank's Christoph Rieger says in a note. "While the market has repeatedly been bought before around current levels it is difficult to see a swift change of dynamics in the current environment," the head of rates and credit research says. In late Monday trade, the 10-year Bund yield hit 3.219%, the highest since 2011, according to LSEG data. Commerzbank opts for a defensive stance for now, preferring steepeners. "They can work in both a bullish as well as a moderately bearish setting as central banks need to account for tightening financing conditions from historically high long-end yields," Rieger says. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)

0542 GMT - The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield extends its recent rise, climbing to 5.326%, the highest level since 2007, according to Tradeweb data. The 10-year yield also rises, hitting 4.742% in Asian trade, the highest level since end-July, Tradeweb data show. Drivers include investor concerns over U.S. government spending as well as a lack of progress toward a resolution in the Middle East, which is keeping oil prices elevated, with Brent oil last trading at $91.47 per barrel, up 0.66% on the day. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 18, 2026 03:34 ET (07:34 GMT)