Stock markets recovering Iran war losses amid peace deal hopes; Reeves and Bessent to meet at IMF – business live

Introduction: Stock markets recovering Iran war losses

Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets, and the world economy.

Hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East are pushing markets higher, helping equities to recover their losses since the Iran war began.

The US stock market is closing on a record high, after the S&P 500 share index recovered all its losses since the conflict began at the end of February.

Markets in Asia – which is particularly vulnerable to the energy shock – are following; MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan has gained 1.5% today to reach its highest level in six weeks.

Japan’s Nikkei has almost recovered its losses since the US-Israeli attacks began, while China’s CSI300 share index has hit a six-week high this morning, touching its highest level since 3 March.

Optimism has seeped back into the markets, after a volatile March, on hopes that talks between Washington DC and Tehran during the current ceasefire might yield a breakthrough.

Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG, says events in April have culminated in “a spectacular market rally”:

The Nasdaq has now risen for 10 consecutive sessions, marking its longest winning streak since late 2021, while the S&P500 overnight closed more than 10% above its March low of 6316.

While the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains incredibly tense, markets are, by their very nature, forward-looking. Right now, equities are actively pricing in the end of this geopolitical chapter rather than dwelling on the current stalemate.

Take the nuclear negotiations, for example. Iran appears prepared to halt uranium enrichment for five years, whereas the US is demanding twenty. A compromise somewhere in the middle—perhaps around the ten-year mark—feels realistic and entirely within reach.

Overnight, Donald Trump has said that US-Iranian peace talks could resume in Islamabad over the next two days, and complimented the work of Pakistan’s army chief as mediator.

In the meantime, traffic through the the strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, with the US blockading Iraniain ports.

The US dollar is lingering near six-week lows today, having recently lost nearly all the gains it had made since the Iran war erupted.

The agenda

Noon BST: US weekly mortgage applications data

12.30pm BST: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent speaking at CNBC conference:

1.30pm BST: NY Empire State Manufacturing Index

2pm BST: IMF to release its fiscal monitor

2.30pm BST: UK chancellor Rachel Reeves speaking at CNBC conference

3.15pm BST: IMF press conference on the fiscal monitor

Barratt Redrow cuts land buying as geopolitics pushes up costs and mortgage rates

Britain’s largest housebuilder is cutting back on its land purchases, after the Iran war drove up mortgage rates.

BarrattRedrow has told the City it is being more selective when buying land to build homes on, due to “recent geopolitical events” and their likely impact on mortgage rates and build cost inflation.

The company now expects to spend between £700m and £800m on new land this financial year, down from previous guidance of £800m-£900m .

That will buy between 7,000 and 9,000 plots, below its previous guidance range of between 10,000 and 12,000 plots.

BarrattRedrow also warns that higher energy costs are likely to push up the cost of building materials.

The US stock market’s recovery over the last 10 trading sessions is the fastest since early in the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Jim Reid, market strategist at Deutsche Bank.

He says:

Hopes for a de-escalation between the US and Iran have continued to propel markets higher this morning, with Trump saying overnight that “I think it’s close to over.”

So oil prices have remained steady, with Brent crude at $95.26/bbl, and the surge for risk assets has continued. Indeed, yesterday saw the S&P 500 (+1.18%) close just shy of its record high, meaning that the index is now up +9.8% over the last 10 sessions. For reference, that’s now even faster than the bounceback after Liberation Day last year, and we haven’t seen a run of gains that quick over 10 sessions since the post-Covid bounceback in April 2020.

Scott Bessent has also claimed the US economy could have a strong year, despite the hit from the Middle East conflict.

Bessent said the underlying US economy remains strong and that growth could still exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran.

That followed yesterday’s news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war and said any further escalation in the conflict could trigger a global recession. Bessent however cast cuts in global growth forecasts and higher inflation projections by the IMF and World Bank as an overreaction.

UK chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to meet her US counterpart, Scott Bessent, in Washington DC today at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The impact of the Iran war will surely be high on the agenda – an issue where the two finance ministers may not see eye to eye.

Overnight, Bessent has told the BBC a “small bit of economic pain” is worthwhile for long-term international security.

Reeves, reeling from seeing the UK’s growth forecasts downgraded yesterday, may not agree. She has already spoken of her anger and frustration at the “folly” of America’s actions in the Middle East and its financial impact it is having on UK families and businesses.

Introduction: Stock markets recovering Iran war losses

Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets, and the world economy.

Hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East are pushing markets higher, helping equities to recover their losses since the Iran war began.

The US stock market is closing on a record high, after the S&P 500 share index recovered all its losses since the conflict began at the end of February.

Markets in Asia – which is particularly vulnerable to the energy shock – are following; MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan has gained 1.5% today to reach its highest level in six weeks.

Japan’s Nikkei has almost recovered its losses since the US-Israeli attacks began, while China’s CSI300 share index has hit a six-week high this morning, touching its highest level since 3 March.

Optimism has seeped back into the markets, after a volatile March, on hopes that talks between Washington DC and Tehran during the current ceasefire might yield a breakthrough.

Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG, says events in April have culminated in “a spectacular market rally”:

The Nasdaq has now risen for 10 consecutive sessions, marking its longest winning streak since late 2021, while the S&P500 overnight closed more than 10% above its March low of 6316.

While the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains incredibly tense, markets are, by their very nature, forward-looking. Right now, equities are actively pricing in the end of this geopolitical chapter rather than dwelling on the current stalemate.

Take the nuclear negotiations, for example. Iran appears prepared to halt uranium enrichment for five years, whereas the US is demanding twenty. A compromise somewhere in the middle—perhaps around the ten-year mark—feels realistic and entirely within reach.

Overnight, Donald Trump has said that US-Iranian peace talks could resume in Islamabad over the next two days, and complimented the work of Pakistan’s army chief as mediator.

In the meantime, traffic through the the strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, with the US blockading Iraniain ports.

The US dollar is lingering near six-week lows today, having recently lost nearly all the gains it had made since the Iran war erupted.

The agenda

Noon BST: US weekly mortgage applications data

12.30pm BST: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent speaking at CNBC conference:

1.30pm BST: NY Empire State Manufacturing Index

2pm BST: IMF to release its fiscal monitor

2.30pm BST: UK chancellor Rachel Reeves speaking at CNBC conference

3.15pm BST: IMF press conference on the fiscal monitor