US stock markets presented a mixed picture on Tuesday. At the close in New York, the Dow was calculated at 46,584 points, marking a decrease of 0.2 percent compared to the previous trading day. Just minutes earlier, the broader S&P 500 was up 0.1 percent with approximately 6,616 points, while the Nasdaq 100, a technology index, stood at around 24,202 points and was also slightly positive.
American markets appeared cautious leading up to the expiring deadline set by US President Donald Trump concerning Iran. Trump posted on his personal platform, stating, “An entire civilization will perish tonight and never rise again. I don’t want that to happen, but it will probably happen anyway”. Given that he had postponed the deadline multiple times, investors are now once again questioning whether Trump will back down. Even before the deadline expired, Iran reported attacks on highways and bridges, particularly on the island of Charg, which is important for oil exports.
Meanwhile, the common currency of the European community was stronger on Tuesday evening; one Euro cost 1.1596 US dollars, meaning one dollar was equivalent to 0.8624 Euros. Gold prices saw a notable increase, reaching $4,700 per fine ounce in the evening (+1.1 percent), which equates to a price of 130.30 Euros per gram. Oil prices, however, dropped significantly. At around 10 PM Central European Time on Tuesday, a barrel of North Sea Brent crude cost $106.30, representing a reduction of 347 cents or 3.2 percent from the previous day’s closing figures.