Finance

Brent crude futures fell approximately 2.4% to $92 a barrel, paring earlier gains that had reached over $98 following the downing of a U.S. military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. The decline in energy costs provided a boost to airline stocks, with United and Delta both seeing gains of over 2.6%. Market analysts noted that while conflict premiums persist, the recent dip suggests trader expectations of potential near-term stabilization or diplomatic progress.

CME Group officially launched Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures today, providing regulated exposure to a basket of digital assets including Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana. This comes as Bitcoin and Ethereum prices stabilized near $63,000 and $1,690 respectively, following significant volatility earlier in the week. Institutional interest remains a focal point, with tokenized real-world assets like public equities and bonds showing massive year-over-year growth through mid-2026.

The Energy Information Administration's latest outlook predicts that U.S. electricity consumption will reach record highs in 2026, fueled largely by the rapid expansion of AI data centers. For the first time on record, commercial electricity demand is expected to surpass residential demand, reflecting the massive infrastructure needs of hyperscalers. To meet this surge, developers plan to add a record 86 gigawatts of utility-scale generating capacity, with solar and wind leading the growth in new supply.