Wall Street surged to fresh records on Thursday as the Fed held rates steady and signalled patience, with the S&P 500 jumping 1.6% and the Dow clearing 51,700 for the first time. Oil markets rallied above US$104 on renewed Iran sanctions fears while bond yields climbed after the Fed flagged persistent inflation risks. The ASX is set to open higher, with SPI futures pointing to a 54-point gain as investors digest the Fed’s hawkish hold.
Will they actually slow down AI? Dario Amodei, Sam Altman and Elon Musk say we should pace AI development — but we’re not buying it. The three leaders of the AI race all agreeing on regulation? Smells like incumbents pulling up the drawbridge.
The Federal Reserve hiked rates 25bp to 3.75%–4.00% in a unanimous vote — the first increase since 2023 — as Chair Warsh warned inflation is “too high” and refused forward guidance. Wall Street reversed sharply, oil pulled back on Saudi workaround cargoes via Oman, and the ASX faces a rates-heavy open with SPI futures down 0.75%.
Anthropic, OpenAI and Elon Musk all called for slowing AI development. What happened, why it matters, and where the investment opportunity sits now. MPC Markets, September 2026.
Wall Street fell Monday as the heads of Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI called for slowing frontier AI development, hammering the PHLX chip index 5.9% and sending Nvidia down 3.4%. The US 10-year Treasury yield breached 5% for the first time since October 2023 with a Fed rate hike now priced at 92% for Wednesday. Brent crude spiked to $109.74 before settling at $105.68 as Saudi pipeline shutdowns and Hormuz shipping disruptions kept supply fears elevated.
Wall Street finished higher on Friday as falling crude prices offset hot CPI data that all but locked in a Fed rate hike this week — but weekend calls from AI leaders to slow development have Nasdaq futures trading sharply lower heading into Monday.
Oil smashed through $100 this week as Strait of Hormuz traffic collapsed to single digits. The S&P dropped four sessions straight, the ECB hiked, PPI came in hot, and the 10-year yield is staring down 5%. Oracle beat big after hours, GPT-6 Astra crushed software stocks, and rate hike odds climbed to 73%. We’re bearish until October 11. Inside: the full week breakdown, our cheque cashers vs cheque writers thesis, copper at record highs, the ASX energy and gold miner plays we’re backing, and why CPI on Friday could reshape the second half of 2026.
Why analyst earnings forecasts lag every bear market, how AI-inflated earnings mask real risk, and what Australian investors should do now. MPC Markets 2026.
U.S. stocks extended their losing streak to a fourth straight session as a hotter-than-expected producer price report sent Treasury yields to multi-year highs and lifted the probability of a Fed rate hike next week above 70%. WTI crude topped $100 for the first time since May amid an escalation of U.S.–Iran strikes on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. ASX 200 futures point to a sharp 79-point fall at the open.
Brent crude surged above $100 a barrel as U.S. strikes on five Iranian tankers triggered retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf, pushing the 10-year Treasury yield to 4.85%. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% while a disappointing $6 billion Treasury buyback deepened the bond sell-off. ASX 200 futures point to a 1% drop as markets await Thursday’s PPI and Friday’s CPI for Fed rate hike clarity.
Wall Street fell on Tuesday as surging oil prices near $100 a barrel, escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities and elevated Fed rate hike bets weighed on sentiment after the Labor Day weekend. The S&P 500 dropped 0.6% with software and health care stocks leading losses, while Brent crude hit a six-week high after Houthi strikes on Saudi energy facilities. ASX 200 futures point to a cautious 0.3% gain after yesterday’s 1% slump.
US equity futures slipped on Labor Day as fresh tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude toward $98 a barrel — its highest in seven weeks. Markets now price a near 60% chance the Fed hikes rates on September 16, with Friday’s CPI the decisive print. The yen surged to a seven-month high, copper hit a record, and ASX 200 futures point to a flat open.