Key Takeaways
- Gold eased to $3,355 as safe-haven demand cooled following the U.S. delay in military engagement.
- Bitcoin held near $104,000, reflecting investor caution amid ongoing geopolitical tension.
- The Fed and The Bank of England (BoE) kept rates on hold this week, citing inflation risks and global uncertainty.
- Equities drifted lower, with the S&P 500 and Dow under pressure from rate pause and conflict uncertainty.
Global Shifts & Market Sentiment
On June 20, tensions between Israel and Iran intensified as both nations exchanged new air strikes in the second week of escalating hostilities.
The U.S. has delayed announcing any new military engagement, indicating a decision could come within the next two weeks. This delay caused Brent crude to dip intraday.
Meanwhile, gold slipped from recent highs as safe-haven demand eased following the delayed U.S. response, though sentiment remained sensitive to signs of further escalation.
Despite the pause, U.S. military assets, including fighter jets, naval vessels and aerial refuellers, were being repositioned in the region as part of contingency planning, keeping investors on edge.
Shifting focus to monetary policy, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 4.25–4.50% on June 18 and signaled two possible cuts later this year, citing concerns that tariffs and geopolitical tensions could slow progress on inflation.
The Bank of England also held its main rate steady at 4.25% on June 19, with a 6–3 vote, as policymakers flagged risks from Middle East instability, softening wage growth and ongoing price pressures.
Global Indices
- S&P 500: 5,980.86 (–0.03%)
- Dow Jones: 42,171.66 (–0.10%)
- Nasdaq Composite: 19,546.27 (+0.13%)
- Nikkei 225: 38,500.0 (–0.03%)
- Euronext 100: 1,554.11 (–1.09%)
- FTSE 100: 8,823.7 (+0.17%)
Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin: $104,587 (–0.10%)
- Ethereum: $2,516.40 (–0.19%)
- Solana: $163.35 (–1.88%)
- Binance Coin: $643.83 (–0.13%)
Commodities
- Gold: $3,350.14/oz (–0.50%)
- Silver: $35.80/oz (–2.49%)
- WTI crude: $73.67 (-0.48%)
- Brent crude: $73.96 (–2.23%)
Individual Stocks
- NVIDIA: $145.48 (+0.94%)
- Tesla: $322.05 (+1.80%)
- Microsoft: $480.24 (+0.46%)
- Meta: $695.77 (–0.21%)
- Apple: $196.58 (+0.48%)
- Amazon: $212.52 (–1.07%)
Forex
- EUR/USD: 1.15298 (+0.32%)
- GBP/USD: 1.3498 (+0.24%)
- USD/JPY: 145.255 (–0.13%)
Market Wrap-Up
Caution defined Friday’s market tone as the S&P 500 and Dow edged lower amid uncertainty over central bank policy and Middle East tensions. Gold slipped as safe-haven demand moderated, while bitcoin traded near $104,000. Attention now turns to upcoming inflation data and geopolitical signals for direction.
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