Market Beats | Global Officials Warn Anthropic’s “Mythos” Could Disrupt World Banking System; Trump Claims Iran Concessions as Markets Hit Record Highs on Peace Hopes; ASML Lifts Sales Forecast as AI Demand Strains Chip Supply Chain; Oil Plunges 11% as Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz; Trump: Iran Agrees to Indefinite Nuclear Suspension; Intel Shares Hit Highest Intraday Level Since Dot-Com Era; Tentative Deal Reached for NYC Building Staff

—— Global Officials Warn Anthropic’s “Mythos” Could Disrupt World Banking System; Trump Claims Iran Concessions as Markets Hit Record Highs on Peace Hopes; ASML Lifts Sales Forecast as AI Demand Strains Chip Supply Chain; Oil Plunges 11% as Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz; Trump: Iran Agrees to Indefinite Nuclear Suspension; Intel Shares Hit Highest Intraday Level Since Dot-Com Era; Tentative Deal Reached for NYC Building Staff

1. Global Officials Warn Anthropic’s “Mythos” Could Disrupt World Banking System

International financial leaders at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington have issued urgent warnings that the latest AI advancements could destabilize the global banking sector by exploiting cyber defense vulnerabilities. The conversation, which shifted abruptly from geopolitical conflicts to technological risks, centered on Anthropic’s new Claude Mythos Preview model. Financial officials expressed deep concern over the model’s unprecedented capability to identify critical security flaws across global digital infrastructure.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and ECB President Christine Lagarde both emphasized the need for a coordinated international response, noting that the speed of AI development has outpaced existing governance frameworks. Anthropic itself has acknowledged that the model uncovered thousands of “high-severity vulnerabilities” in major operating systems and web browsers, warning that the proliferation of such capabilities among malicious actors could have severe consequences for national security and global economic stability.

As IMF officials call for AI safety to be prioritized on the international agenda, the focus for central banks is shifting toward building resilience against autonomous, AI-driven cyber threats.

______

2. Trump Claims Iran Concessions as Markets Hit Record Highs on Peace Hopes

President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that Iran has made significant concessions in negotiations to end the seven-week conflict, raising hopes for a regional peace settlement following the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon. Defying expectations that a diplomatic extension would be necessary, Trump suggested that the April 7 truce might not need to be renewed before its expiration next week. “Iran wants to make a deal,” Trump told reporters, adding that an announcement could come “fairly soon” if current momentum continues.

Despite the president’s optimism, European and Gulf Arab officials remain skeptical, suggesting that a comprehensive accord could take up to six months to finalize. Central to these discussions is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the long-standing dispute over Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. While Iran has not officially confirmed any concessions, Trump reiterated his firm stance that the Islamic Republic “will not have nuclear weapons” and dismissed the idea of negotiating a temporary moratorium on uranium enrichment.

The prospect of a swift resolution fueled a rally in global financial markets, with Wall Street indices hitting all-time highs on Thursday. Although Asian markets saw some profit-taking ahead of the weekend, the MSCI All Country World Index remains near record levels following a 10-day winning streak.

In the energy sector, Brent crude prices eased by 1.3% to $98.10 a barrel, though they remains more than 30% higher than pre-war valuations.

______

3. ASML Lifts Sales Forecast as AI Demand Strains Chip Supply Chain

ASML, Europe’s most valuable technology firm, raised its full-year sales guidance on Wednesday as the global AI boom intensifies demand for its advanced lithography systems. The Netherlands-based group now expects annual net sales to reach between €36 billion and €40 billion, representing a potential 22% increase over 2025 results. This revised outlook surpasses analyst expectations and underscores ASML’s pivotal role in the semiconductor ecosystem.

CEO Christophe Fouquet highlighted “very strong” order intake from major chipmakers including TSMC, Samsung, and Intel, noting that supply shortages for cutting-edge manufacturing equipment are likely to persist for the foreseeable future. As Big Tech firms like Nvidia and Google race to secure the computing power necessary for models like ChatGPT and Claude Code, ASML’s limited production capacity for its complex Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) machines has become a critical bottleneck for the entire industry.

The supply-demand imbalance is particularly acute in the memory chip sector, where frantic building of AI data centers is diverting resources and driving up prices for consumer electronics, including smartphones and PCs.

While ASML’s shares dipped slightly in early Wednesday trading to a market capitalization of €497 billion, the stock remains up approximately 40% year-to-date, reflecting investor confidence in its near-monopoly on the tools essential for the AI age.

______

4. Oil Plunges 11% as Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices collapsed after Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a move seen as a major de-escalation in a conflict that has paralyzed global energy markets for seven weeks. Brent crude dropped more than 11% to roughly $88 a barrel, hitting its lowest level in over a month. The announcement followed signals from President Donald Trump that a comprehensive deal between Washington and Tehran is within reach. “The strait is ready for business and full passage,” Trump stated, acknowledging Iran’s commitment to allow commercial shipping during the remainder of the current ceasefire.

The reopening of the waterway—which previously handled 20% of global oil flows—triggered a massive relief rally across financial markets. The S&P 500 rose 1.2% as investors bet on cooling inflation and restored energy stability. Ship-tracking data already shows dozens of vessels from Greek, French, and Chinese firms moving toward the strategic chokepoint. While shipping executives remain cautious about potential mining or IRGC interference, the de-escalation appears tied to recent US pressure on Israel to pause military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Despite the breakthrough, Tehran maintains that merchant vessels must still coordinate with Iranian authorities for transit permission.

______

5. Trump: Iran Agrees to Indefinite Nuclear Suspension

President Donald Trump announced in a phone interview on Friday that Iran has agreed to an indefinite suspension of its nuclear program. Crucially, the president emphasized that the Islamic Republic will not receive any released frozen funds from the United States as part of the arrangement. Trump stated that the deal to conclude the conflict—which began in late February—is nearing completion, with final negotiations likely to take place over the coming weekend. “Most of the main points are finalized,” Trump said, predicting a swift conclusion to the diplomatic process.

While Tehran has confirmed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, it has yet to officially respond to Trump’s claims regarding nuclear concessions. The prospect of a safe and permanent transit route for energy through the strategic chokepoint has sent shockwaves through the commodities markets. Brent crude plunged more than 10% on Friday afternoon, trading below $89 a barrel and erasing nearly all of its war-time premium.

Diesel prices in both Europe and the U.S. led the downward trend in the energy complex as traders anticipate a return to normalized global supply chains.

______

6. Intel Shares Hit Highest Intraday Level Since Dot-Com Era

Intel Corp. shares surged to their highest intraday level since the dot-com era on Friday, reaching $69.55 and surpassing a previous 2020 peak. The stock has undergone a massive recovery, gaining 90% year-to-date following an 84% rally in 2025. This resurgence marks a significant comeback from 2024, when heavy spending on new foundries and declining market share caused the stock to crater by 60%. Currently, Intel is only 8% away from its all-time closing record of $74.88, set in August 2000.

Several major strategic partnerships have fueled this optimism. Following a $14.2 billion buyback of its Ireland plant assets from Apollo Global Management, Intel secured a high-profile role in Elon Musk’s Terafab project to produce chips for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Furthermore, Google’s commitment to using Intel’s future Xeon processors for its data centers has bolstered confidence in the firm’s technological roadmap.

Analysts, including those at Gabelli Funds, suggest that more “near-term catalysts” are on the horizon, with growing speculation that Intel’s foundry business may soon secure marquee clients such as Apple or Nvidia.

______

7. Tentative Deal Reached for NYC Building Staff

The four-member crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—has already secured its place in history by shattering human deep-space distance records. Beyond their technical achievements, the astronauts have also earned acclaim as skilled photographers, capturing breathtaking high-resolution images of Earth and the moon from a distance of approximately 252,760 miles. Operating from within the Lockheed Martin-built Orion capsule, the crew has provided a rare glimpse into daily life and work during this historic lunar journey.

The imagery sent back to Earth has inspired global awe, with one particular shot of the moon eclipsing the sun drawing significant attention. In a post on X, the White House described the vantage point as “a view few in human history have ever witnessed.”

As Artemis II continues its mission, these visual records serve as a powerful testament to the progress of the Artemis program and humanity’s return to deep-space exploration.

______