Business & Markets
Nikkei falls 3% as Brent crude trades at $108
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell more than 3% in early trading Friday as higher oil prices renewed concern that Middle East tensions could add to inflation pressure.
At around 9:15 a.m. in Tokyo, or 0015 GMT, the Nikkei was down 3.03% at 63,291 points.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded at $108.15 a barrel, up 0.5%, after rising 6.34% the previous day. West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark US oil contract, moved above $100 a barrel on Thursday. AFP reported that the move followed Yemen's Houthis seizing control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha.
Brent had already moved above $100 on Wednesday for the first time since late July as renewed Middle East hostilities raised concern about energy shipments.
Major Wall Street indices spent Thursday's session in the red. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, its fourth straight daily decline.
Update
Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 3.03% at 63,291 points in early Friday trading.
Brent crude was up 0.5% at $108.15 after rising 6.34% the previous day.
West Texas Intermediate rose above $100 a barrel on Thursday after AFP reported that Yemen's Houthis seized control of Mocha.
The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, its fourth straight daily decline.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 September 2026 at 00:53:45 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude traded at $101.83 a barrel at around 1030 GMT, up 0.6 percent.
West Texas Intermediate traded at $97.25 a barrel, up 1.3 percent.
European stocks were mixed or muted before the European Central Bank decision.
Investors were watching ECB President Christine Lagarde's comments for signs of further rate rises.
Nintendo shares fell almost five percent after an online showcase of coming games.
Apple unveiled its first folding iPhone on Wednesday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 September 2026 at 11:09:12 UTC.
Update
Brent was up 3.4 percent at $101.21 a barrel at around 2010 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate was up 3.3 percent at $96.05 a barrel.
The Dow closed down 0.8 percent, while the S&P 500 closed down 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq closed down 0.6 percent.
The yield on the 10-year US Treasury bond rose to its highest level since 2023 despite an expanded Treasury buyback program.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 20:36:59 UTC.
Update
Brent rose as high as $101.55 a barrel and was up 3.5 percent at $101.37 at about 1530 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate rose above $96 a barrel and was up 3.8 percent at $96.56 at about 1530 GMT.
European markets closed lower, including Paris down 1.9 percent, Frankfurt down 1.7 percent and London down 1.3 percent.
European natural gas prices topped 80 euros per megawatt-hour, their highest level since early 2023.
Average US diesel prices reached a record $5.94 a gallon.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked 20 US vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said a new prohibited zone outside Hormuz would cover waters beyond the waterway and apply to ships as far away as the Arabian Sea.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 15:48:09 UTC.
Update
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.6 percent about 20 minutes into trading.
The S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq Composite also fell 0.3 percent early Wednesday.
Futures markets placed about 60 percent odds on a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase later in the month.
Mark Malek of Siebert Financial said markets were pricing the risk of further disruption.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 13:56:39 UTC.
Update
Brent rose 3 percent to $100.81 a barrel around 1330 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate rose 3 percent to $95.84 a barrel.
US and European stock markets fell, with the Dow down 0.6 percent at the Wall Street opening and Paris and Frankfurt down 1.5 percent and 1.6 percent in afternoon trading.
Investors were watching US inflation data due Friday and a widely forecast European Central Bank rate increase on Thursday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 13:56:10 UTC.
Update
Iran said it attacked more than a dozen vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other non-compliant vessels, according to Iranian state media.
UKMTO said several vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf were subject to disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards added parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to a new prohibited zone.
Iran's Guards said they struck a US military base in Jordan in response to US forces destroying five Iranian oil tankers a day earlier.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 12:48:56 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude was up 2.8 percent at $100.65 a barrel around 1130 GMT.
West Texas Intermediate rose 2.3 percent to $95.12 a barrel.
Average diesel prices in the United States reached a record $5.94 a gallon.
European markets fell in afternoon trading, including Paris down 1.9 percent, Frankfurt down 1.5 percent and London down 1.0 percent.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 11:54:28 UTC.
Update
Brent North Sea crude was up 2.2% at $100.06 a barrel around 0810 GMT after touching $100.19.
West Texas Intermediate was up 1.7% at $94.64 a barrel and was moving toward $95.
Wall Street's three main indexes fell, major European markets opened lower, and Asian markets were mixed.
The yen traded around 153 per dollar after gains on Tuesday were partly pared.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 08:19:01 UTC.
Update
Brent crude was up 1.6% at $99.49 a barrel around 0715 GMT after reaching $99.68.
West Texas Intermediate was up 1.4% at $94.37 a barrel around 0715 GMT.
London, Frankfurt and Paris fell at the open, while Asian markets were mixed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 07:26:39 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The specific war referred to in the quoted Trump and Brooks comments is not identified in the new item itself.
The item describes market anxiety over Middle East tensions and oil prices, but individual market moves can reflect multiple factors.
Source
AFP news report published on .