{"id":123817,"title":"What happened overnight – Wednesday 18th June 2025","publisher":"Share Talk","author":"sharetalk","published":"2025-06-18T06:20:09+00:00","modified":"2025-06-18T06:20:09+00:00","canonical_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/what-happened-overnight-wednesday-18th-june-2025/","markdown_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/what-happened-overnight-wednesday-18th-june-2025.md","json_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/what-happened-overnight-wednesday-18th-june-2025.json","category":"B2B","categories":["B2B","Blogs","Technology","Technology, Media & Telecoms"],"tags":["AI-focused","Asia","Asia-Pacific index","Asian market","Asian markets","Asian trading","Bank of England","Bank of Japan","Bank of New York","Beijing","bond market","Brent Crude","china","chips","currency","Dow Jones","European Union","Federal Reserve","Hong kong","India","Jakarta","Japan","JP Morgan","Manila","Nikkei","Nvidia","Russia","semiconductor","Sensex","Seoul","shanghai","Shenzhen Composite Index","Singapore","South Korea","Sydney","Taipei","Treasury yields","U.S. bond market","U.S. dollar","U.S. stocks","U.S. Treasury","US recession","USA","Wall Street","Wellington","White House"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/overnight.webp?fit=750%2C406&quality=80&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"**Oil Prices Rise as Middle East Tensions Intensify; Global Markets Remain Cautious**\n\nOil prices extended gains on Tuesday amid heightened geopolitical risk, as **hostilities between Israel and Iran entered a sixth day**, fuelling investor concerns over potential **US military involvement**.\n\nFormer US President **Donald Trump** intensified the rhetoric, calling for **Iran’s unconditional surrender** and warning that **American patience was wearing thin**, stoking fears of further escalation.\n\n**Brent crude futures** rose **0.3% to $76.67 per barrel**, while **US crude** gained **0.4% to $75.16**. Both benchmarks had already surged over **4% in the previous session**.\n\nDespite some easing in broader market volatility, sentiment remained fragile. **MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan)** slipped **0.3%**, reflecting a cautious stance across the region. In currency markets, the **US dollar** held firm near recent highs against major peers.\n\nOn Wall Street, equities stayed under pressure:\n\n-\n**Dow Jones Industrial Average** closed down **0.7%** at **42,215.80**\n\n-\n**S&P 500** lost **0.8%**, ending at **5,982.72**\n\n-\n**Nasdaq Composite** dropped **0.9%** to **19,521.09**\n\nIn fixed income, the yield on **10-year US Treasuries** fell to **4.389%**, down from **4.454%** the previous day, as investors sought safety in government bonds.\n\nOverall, risk appetite remained subdued, with markets closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and bracing for further volatility."}