Key headlines from global financial media overnight and this morning include:
1. White House Denies US Military is Escorting Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Contradicting Energy Secretary The White House stated that the US Navy is not escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, clarifying an earlier, now-deleted social media post by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, "I know that post was taken down quickly, and I can confirm the US Navy is not currently escorting tankers or vessels. Of course, the President has previously committed that he would absolutely exercise that option if necessary." Wright's post on the X platform, accompanied by a video, initially extended a decline in global oil prices. Prices partially recovered after the post vanished approximately 15 minutes later.
2. Trump Claims US Destroyed 10 Iranian Mine-Laying Boats US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that the US had attacked several Iranian vessels over concerns Iran might be laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump wrote on social media, "I am pleased to report that in the last few hours, we have struck and completely destroyed 10 non-operational minelayer vessels, with more to come!" Shortly before this post, he had warned Iran it would face "unprecedented" military action if it did not remove any mines that may have been laid. A US official confirmed the military had launched preemptive strikes on the boats using a variety of weapons.
3. NASA Inspector General: SpaceX Starship Delays Jeopardize NASA Moon Timeline NASA's Inspector General stated on Tuesday that development of SpaceX's Starship rocket, chosen by NASA in 2021 as the astronaut lunar lander, is already delayed by at least two years cumulatively. It is expected to require more time to clear remaining hurdles before a Moon landing, and the agency is studying plans to accelerate the program. NASA has been collaborating with several companies, most notably Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, on its multi-billion dollar Artemis program to launch regular astronaut missions to the Moon, aiming to achieve this before China sends its own astronauts to the lunar surface around 2030.
4. Amazon Plans Bond Sale to Raise at Least $37 Billion, Could Rank Among Largest Ever Amazon.com has launched a bond offering that could become one of the largest corporate debt issuances in history, marking the latest major transaction to raise capital for the artificial intelligence boom. According to informed sources, the tech giant plans to issue bonds in both US dollars and euros across the Atlantic, targeting a fundraising amount of approximately $37 billion to $42 billion. Amazon is marketing up to 11 tranches of US high-grade bonds with maturities ranging from 2 to 50 years, aiming to raise $25 billion to $30 billion.
5. Oracle Exceeds Earnings Expectations and Raises Guidance as Cloud Revenue Soars 44%, Stock Jumps After Hours Shares of software giant Oracle surged 8% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the company reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street expectations and raised its revenue guidance for fiscal 2027. Management increased its fiscal 2027 revenue outlook by $10 billion to $90 billion; analysts surveyed by LSEG had on average expected $86.6 billion. Oracle anticipates adjusted earnings per share of $1.92 to $1.96 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, with revenue growth of 19% to 20%. The consensus expectation from LSEG was for earnings per share of $1.70 and revenue growth of 20%.
6. Microsoft Voices Support for Anthropic, Urges Court to Temporarily Block US Defense Department Blacklisting Microsoft expressed support for Anthropic on Tuesday and called on a court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the US Department of Defense from designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk for "all existing contracts." Microsoft stated in a legal filing that such a measure would "allow for a more orderly transition and avoid disruption to advanced AI systems currently in use by the US military." It added, "Otherwise, Microsoft and other technology companies would be forced to immediately modify configurations for existing products and contracts provided to the US Department of Defense. This could adversely affect US warfighters at a critical time."
