Iranian Revolutionary Guard launches 37th wave of strikes, WTI crude oil briefly drops then turns down 0.61%

Citigroup raises its U.S. stock market rating to “Buy,” favoring defensive stocks

Gate News message, April 14, Citi Group’s strategists raised their rating for the U.S. stock market from "Neutral" to "Buy," aligning with the views of other analysts on Wall Street. Citi said that heightened uncertainty in the war situation has made investors more inclined to choose companies with higher quality and stronger defensiveness. Based on the principles of a "quality/defensive tilt," Citi adjusted its global asset allocation. Meanwhile, Citi downgraded its emerging market stock rating from "Buy" to "Neutral," saying these markets are more vulnerable to energy shocks, and that a stronger U.S. dollar puts additional pressure on them.

Iranian Ambassador to India: Indian oil tankers have not paid the Strait of Hormuz transit fees to Iran

Iran’s ambassador to India, Fattahali, said that Indian tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz did not pay the transit fee to Iran, and the Indian government also denied having paid any fee. Since the outbreak of the Iran war, Iran has blockaded that route, and there are still 15 Indian vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf.

JPMorgan CEO Dimon Warns: A Possible Iran War Could Reignite the Inflation Pressure, and the Federal Reserve’s Interest Rates May Stay High for Longer

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned in his annual shareholder letter that a war with Iran could trigger persistent oil and commodity price shocks, creating inflation pressure that is stickier than the market expects, and that the Federal Reserve may need to maintain high interest rates for longer. He noted that the war’s economic impact is widespread, including a global restructuring of supply chains and rising energy prices. In addition, Dimon still holds a positive view of the U.S. economy, but warned that the economic shocks from the war could weaken that resilience.

U.S. Vice President Vance: The U.S. withdrew from the U.S.-Iran talks because Iran’s representatives lacked sufficient authorization

U.S. Vice President Vance disclosed the reason for the deadlock in the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, saying that the U.S. side withdrew from the negotiations because Iran’s representative lacked authorization under the agreement. Vance emphasized that Trump is willing to normalize relations between the U.S. and Iran, but only on the condition that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons and does not support terrorism. Any future progress in the talks would require approval from Iran’s leadership in Tehran.

U.S. stocks have recovered the losses since the Iran war, while Bitcoin pushes up to 74K

Due to market expectations that the United States and Iran will reach an agreement, the S&P 500 index has rebounded to its highest level since the war, and Bitcoin has also surged to $74,900. Despite the failure of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. has imposed a maritime blockade to pressure Iran. MicroStrategy once again made a large-scale purchase of Bitcoin, indicating that investor confidence is picking up.