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The geopolitical risk premium is back in focus after reports that the U.S. military has drawn up strike options against Iran, potentially including the GBU-forty-three, one of the largest non-nuclear bombs in the American arsenal. Iran has signaled it will fight on, and traders will be watching crude and safe-haven flows closely as this situation develops.
Shifting to the semiconductor space, the rivalry between ASML and Applied Materials is drawing fresh scrutiny from investors weighing where to position in chip equipment. Applied Materials carries a broader wafer fabrication portfolio, while ASML's monopoly on extreme ultraviolet lithography gives it irreplaceable leverage in leading-edge production — a distinction that matters enormously as AI-driven capex cycles accelerate.
And in fintech, Wise has named Barak Eilam as non-executive director and chair designate. Eilam brings serious enterprise software credentials as the former CEO of NICE, and the appointment signals that Wise is continuing to build out its governance structure as it matures from a scrappy disruptor into a more institutionally credible public company.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
