Fresh clashes in Persian Gulf rattle US-Iran peace hopes, gold falls. Renewed fighting in the region reinforces inflation fears, weighing on gold prices.

Fireworks AI in talks for $15B valuation, up from $4B in October 2025 (Bloomberg)

Fireworks AI, an AI model deployment company, is in talks to raise funding at a $15 billion valuation, up from $4 billion in October 2025, according to Bloomberg.

Oil declines as markets weigh prospects of Hormuz reopening

Oil prices fell as markets assess the possibility of the Strait of Hormuz reopening.

Mizuho CEO Kihara: Corporate actions remain strong but Middle East uncertainty could hurt profit targets; markets may be overpriced given geopolitical risks.

Mizuho CEO Kihara stated that corporate actions remain strong, but uncertainty in the Middle East could negatively affect profit targets. He also noted that markets may be overpriced given geopolitical risks, and clients are still able to source Middle East supplies despite higher costs.

Colombia court suspends finance minister's mandate at central bank, ending crisis that gave government veto over interest rates.

A Colombian court suspended a rule that required the finance minister to be present at central bank meetings, ending an institutional crisis that gave the government an effective veto over interest rate decisions.