Market Talk Roundup: Latest on U.S. Politics

Market Talks covering the impact of U.S. Politics and White House policies on companies and markets. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.

0353 ET - Gold prices edge higher after President Trump refrained from launching fresh attacks on Iran, sending oil prices lower and easing concerns about inflation and further interest-rate hikes. In early European trading, New York gold futures are up 0.2% to $4,113.90 a troy ounce. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, tumbled to $83 a barrel as Trump told reporters Sunday that the U.S. would engage in talks with Iran beginning Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index is down 0.1% to 99.79 after Japan and the U.S. confirmed joint intervention to shore up the yen, making dollar-denominated commodities cheaper for overseas buyers. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0331 ET - European energy stocks open lower on slumping oil prices as President Trump prioritizes diplomacy and says new talks with Iran will begin Monday. This pushes Brent down 5.2% to $83.41 a barrel, while WTI falls 3.3% to $73.94 a barrel. In London, BP falls 2.1% and Shell drops 1.2%. France's TotalEnergies, Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol all fall around 2.2%. Norway's Equinor is down just over 3%. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)

2224 ET - Politics may be behind coordinated U.S.-Japan intervention in the yen, State Street Investment Management's Masahiko Loo says in an email. "Recent reports of coordinated intervention suggest the U.S. may be more willing to lean against disorderly yen weakness than markets previously assumed, to prevent unnecessary stress in funding markets," the senior fixed-income strategist says. The "AI investment boom is creating enormous funding needs, with Big Tech increasingly deploying cash into capex rather than recycling it into Treasuries," Loo adds. The dollar is 0.7% lower at 156.48 yen, LSEG data show. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 03, 2026 03:53 ET (07:53 GMT)