The U.S. SEC formally proposed on May 5, 2026 allowing public companies to substitute semiannual 10-S filings for traditional quarterly 10-Q reports. The Trump-backed rule change is optional — companies could still file quarterly — but opens a public comment period before a possible vote in 2026–2027.
South Korea's consumer price index rose 2.6% year-on-year in April 2026, hitting its highest level in 21 months, driven by a fuel-price shock tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. Gasoline prices surged 21% and diesel 30% year-on-year, complicating the Bank of Korea's room to cut interest rates further.
South Korea's KOSPI benchmark crossed 7,000 for the first time in its history on May 6, 2026, surging 4.54% to 7,252.09 in early trade. The milestone is driven by semiconductor-sector strength — buoyed by AMD's 15% overnight gain — and optimism over U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks that eased oil-supply risk.
The ECB left its deposit rate at 2.00% on April 30 and kept the main refinancing and marginal lending rates at 2.15% and 2.40%. The bigger message was that energy prices are now pushing inflation risks up while growth risks are moving the other way.
The Fed left the federal funds target at 3.50%-3.75% on April 29, but the real signal was a four-way dissent that exposed a deep split over how quickly policy should pivot. Energy-driven inflation risk is now colliding with softer labor momentum inside the Committee.
Brent pushed above $114 after the UAE said it will leave OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1, removing the cartel's third-largest producer at a time of disrupted Hormuz shipping. Abu Dhabi framed the move as a capacity decision, not a break with oil-market stability.
The Bank of Japan kept the overnight call-rate target at around 0.75% in a 6-3 vote and lifted its FY2026 core CPI view to 2.5%-3.0%. The April outlook said an oil shock tied to the Middle East would slow growth in 2026 even as inflation risks skew upward.
Iran said it seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz after reports of three attacks; Brent briefly topped $100 before trading 0.5% higher at $99.03.
UK CPI rose to 3.3% in March from 3.0% in February, in line with Reuters-polled expectations, while ONS data showed motor fuels made the largest upward contribution.
$760M of Brent crude futures were sold between 12:24 and 12:25 GMT, about 20 minutes before Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open. Reuters said crude fell as much as 11% after the headline, adding to U.S. scrutiny of well-timed oil trades tied to Iran-war policy shifts.
Brent crude fell 9.1% to $90.38 on April 17 after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open, while the S&P 500 rose 1.2% to a record. On April 18, Iran said control of the strait had reverted to strict military management, and AP reported that UKMTO said IRGC gunboats fired on a tanker.
The SEC issued a conditional exemptive order on April 15 allowing eligible customers to cross-margin cash U.S. Treasury positions cleared at FICC with Treasury futures cleared at CME. The market-structure change extends a tool previously available only to clearing members.