BUSINESS

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index climbed in early trading Monday as some defensive stocks provided support, even as investors grappled with escalating tensions in the Middle East and surging oil prices that have heightened inflation fears across global markets.

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia's travel sector is showing renewed momentum in 2026 as international and domestic tourism continues its post-pandemic recovery, corporate travel rebounds and technology platforms capture growing global hotel bookings.

Petrol prices across Australia have surged in March 2026 due to global oil volatility triggered by Middle East tensions, pushing regular unleaded averages well above $2.40 per litre in most capital cities as of late March.

SYDNEY, Australia — The S&P/ASX 200 index closed at 8,461.0 on Monday, March 30, 2026, shedding 55.3 points or 0.65% in a session marked by broad-based selling across financials, consumer stocks and select miners, as persistent uncertainty from Middle East conflicts and elevated global oil prices continued to pressure investor sentiment.

NEW YORK — Bitcoin rose steadily on Sunday, March 29, 2026, climbing 0.72% to trade at $66,808.99 as of 12:14 p.m. UTC, extending a modest recovery in the broader cryptocurrency market amid easing geopolitical concerns and steady institutional inflows.

NEW YORK — World oil prices climbed sharply in late March 2026, with benchmark crude surging past the psychologically important $100-per-barrel level amid renewed geopolitical risks in the Middle East, potential supply disruptions and cautious optimism over global demand recovery.

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and economic uncertainty tests corporate resilience, a select group of chief executives continues to set the pace for American business in 2026.

SYDNEY — Motorists hunting for the cheapest petrol in Sydney city on Saturday, March 28, 2026, face elevated prices driven by international oil market volatility, but several stations within or near the central business district still offer relative savings compared to the metropolitan average hovering around 244-250 cents per litre for regular unleaded and E10.

U.S. stocks tumbled Thursday as fresh doubts about a quick end to the U.S.-Iran conflict and a sharp rise in oil prices reignited inflation fears, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 469 points and pushing the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite into correction territory.

European stocks are drawing renewed attention from global investors in 2026 as the STOXX 600 trades near record levels despite geopolitical tensions and energy price swings, with analysts pointing to attractive valuations, sector-specific tailwinds and potential earnings growth in areas like artificial intelligence infrastructure, defense spending and healthcare innovation.

Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) shares tumbled more than 3.8% on Thursday, closing near $87.74 after shedding about $3.49, as Wall Street weighed ongoing concerns over labor costs, store redesign expenses and the speed of CEO Brian Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" recovery plan in a volatile market environment.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares closed at $252.89 on Thursday, up modestly by 0.27 or 0.11% from the prior session, demonstrating relative stability in a turbulent market rocked by escalating uncertainties in the U.S.-Iran conflict and sharply higher oil prices that stoked inflation fears across Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 337.36 points Friday, closing at 45,622.75 amid persistent worries over the U.S.-Iran conflict and a sharp rise in oil prices that heightened inflation concerns and clouded the outlook for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

User reports indicate problems with Instagram beginning around 2:34 AM EDT on Friday, March 27, 2026, according to real-time tracking from Downdetector.

A potential SpaceX initial public offering at a valuation exceeding $1.75 trillion could push Elon Musk's net worth past the $1 trillion mark in 2026, solidifying his position as the world's richest person and making him humanity's first trillionaire, analysts and market observers say.

The S&P/ASX 200 index edged lower on Friday, March 27, 2026, closing at 8,516.30 after shedding 9.40 points or 0.11%, as investors weighed lingering uncertainty from Middle East tensions and mixed signals from global markets.

Cleaning Edge Solutions, Australia's fastest growing commercial cleaning provider, has invested millions of dollars into the development and rollout of its proprietary desktop platform, CESgo, in what industry leaders are describing as a major shift in how businesses manage cleaning, hygiene and operational accountability.

SYDNEY — Artificial intelligence engineers and aged care workers are spearheading Australia's fastest-growing occupations in 2026, as the nation's labour market grapples with technological disruption, an ageing population and infrastructure demands, according to the latest projections from Jobs and Skills Australia and industry reports.

Alphabet Inc. shares traded lower in early Thursday trading, pulling back from recent levels as Wall Street digested the tech giant's strong fourth-quarter performance and ambitious plans for heavy artificial intelligence investments in 2026.

GameStop Corp. shares traded modestly lower in early Thursday trading as investors digested the video game retailer's latest quarterly results, which showed declining revenue amid a broader industry shift to digital downloads but a surge in profitability and a massive cash reserve that continues to fuel speculation about the meme stock's future.

SYDNEY — Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation's largest lender, has increased home loan interest rates for the second time in March 2026, adding further pressure to mortgage holders already grappling with higher borrowing costs following two Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate rises this year.

NEW YORK — As the cryptocurrency market navigates geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty in March 2026, investors are eyeing established leaders and high-potential altcoins for the year ahead, with Bitcoin hovering near $70,000 and the total market capitalization recovering toward $2.5 trillion.

SYDNEY — With the Reserve Bank of Australia raising the official cash rate to 4.10% in March 2026, Sydney homebuyers and refinancers face higher borrowing costs, making the choice of mortgage lender more critical than ever for managing repayments on the city's premium property market.

MUMBAI — Australian investors seeking diversification beyond the ASX are increasingly turning to India's dynamic economy, where robust domestic consumption, digital transformation and government-backed infrastructure spending offer long-term potential despite short-term global volatility.

NEW YORK — S&P 500 futures declined Thursday as investors weighed persistent uncertainty over a potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict, with oil prices remaining elevated and weighing on broader risk sentiment.

LONDON — Next plc dominated the FTSE 100 gainers Thursday as the blue-chip index edged lower amid renewed oil price volatility and lingering geopolitical uncertainties tied to the Middle East.

SYDNEY — Defence technology company DroneShield Ltd led the S&P/ASX 200's biggest gainers on Wednesday, surging 19.33% to close at A$4.26 as investors piled into counter-drone and resources names amid ongoing uncertainty from the US-Iran conflict and broader commodity movements.

As the US-Iran war pushes global oil prices above US$100 per barrel and fuels uncertainty in traditional markets, Australian Bitcoin investors face a familiar question: sell to lock in gains, buy the dip, or simply hold?

The escalating US-Iran war has delivered a fresh inflationary shock to Australia through soaring fuel prices, forcing the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to hike its cash rate twice in quick succession and casting doubt on expected interest rate relief for mortgage holders in 2026.