🎯 The 5 news of the week
The end is near. But not right away.
This Friday marks the end of the fifth week of war in Iran. This week, Donald Trump suggested an end to the conflict within “two to three weeks”. The American president believes that Iran is decimated, that the regime change has taken place, and that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer his problem. But at the same time, American strikes continue and Donald Trump promised in his speech on Wednesday evening to bring Iran back to the “Stone Age”. Meanwhile, Gulf states are pushing for a forcible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. A resolution, carried by Bahrain, must be presented to the UN Security Council.
Asian tour for the French president
Emmanuel Macron was on a trip to Asia this week. In Tokyo, Tuesday and Wednesday, the French president met the Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, as well as Emperor Naruhito. He followed up with a two-day state visit to South Korea. A trip which makes it possible to prepare for the next G7 summit, in which Japan and South Korea will participate, which will be held in France in June. A trip which also helps strengthen economic ties and defense cooperation.
Nike
Another disappointing publication for Nike. The company now expects a drop in turnover of 2 to 4% for the current quarter, where analysts expected sales growth of 1.9%. The group is still penalized by weak demand in China and the slow flow of its stocks. The stock collapsed on Wednesday’s session, bringing its decline to 30% since the start of the year.
Successful launch for Artemis II
On Wednesday evening, four astronauts took off on a ten-day mission around the Moon, a first since 1972. NASA’s Artemis II mission comes more than 3 years after Artemis I, an uncrewed mission which sent the Orion capsule on a similar trajectory around the Moon. The Artemis program, launched in 2017 by Donald Trump, aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the south pole of the Moon. NASA’s objective is to achieve a first manned moon landing on Artemis IV by 2028. China, for its part, is aiming for the end of the decade.
And now WTI above Brent
The roller coaster continues on oil, according to Donald Trump’s declarations. If the American president promises an end to the conflict with Iran in the coming weeks, his speech on Wednesday evening – in which he promises to bring Iran back to the “stone age” – has put the markets back under pressure. Oil thus ends the week around 110 dollars. Rarely, the price of WTI, the reference American, has exceeded that of Brent, the European reference A complete reversal, while the gap between Brent and WTI reached the record level of 20 dollars only two weeks ago!
Best of the rest
A Dallas Fed study shows that the American economy no longer needs to create jobs to keep the unemployment rate stable. This is one of the most concrete effects of the tightening of migration policy since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The war in Iran has revived bets on central bank rate hikes. But the market has already done the job.
Actions of the week
