Bloomberg

US consumer spending barely rose in February and the so-called core personal consumption expenditures price index increased 0.4% from January and 3% from the prior year. Recurring jobless claims fell to a nearly two-year low and Inflation-adjusted gross domestic product increased at a 0.5% annualized rate in the fourth quarter. Michael McKee reports on Bloomberg Television.

Stephen Schork, principal and editor at the Schork Group, explains the factors showing why the global oil market is highly skeptical of the US-Iran ceasefire, despite the slide in prices on Wednesday.

Max Kettner, chief multi-asset strategist at HSBC, examines the relationship between equities and oil in response to the US-Iran ceasefire and sees a reduction in oil prices to near $80 later this year as "good enough" to drive markets.

Israel launched its largest assault on Lebanon since the start of its invasion, escalating the campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah even after the US announced a ceasefire in the wider Middle East conflict. Bloomberg's Dan Williams reports.

Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, on the significant disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. He says 'we will not be discussing alternative mechanisms to what has been working for decades'. He speaks with Bloomberg's Anna Edwards and Guy Johnson on 'The Opening Trade.'

Helen Jewell, CIO of fundamental equities at BlackRock, discusses the outlook for equities ahead of the corporate reporting season. "If you look at earnings forecasts at the moment for the year, they're still well into double digit 15, 16, 17, 18% so there's a lot of headroom for the earnings to come down a little bit," Jewell tells Bloomberg Television.

Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Paul Dobson break down today's key themes for analysts and investors on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade."

Energy Aspects Global Gas Head Livia Gallarati discusses energy markets amid the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. Speaking on Bloomberg Television, she says both oil and gas facilities will take time to ramp up. "Anything new is probably not going to be coming into the Strait [of Hormuz]. Shipowners don't have that risk appetite for now," Gallarati says. Asked whether prices will fall back to pre-war levels, she says: "I wouldn't put my money on that."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to the Gulf to meet with leaders in the region and discuss efforts to support and uphold the ceasefire between the US and Iran. Bloomberg's James Woolcock breaks down the situation.

Oil rebounded after its biggest one-day drop since April 2020, as the Strait of Hormuz remained largely blocked and Israeli attacks on Lebanon threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. Bloomberg's Anthony di Paola reports.