The Morning Kickstart: Markets Open with Risk-On Tone

Markets opened in a risk-on tone, with U.S. stocks higher, Treasury yields edging lower, and oil extending its decline as traders reacted to Treasury Secretary Bessent’s comments, Fed remarks, and U.S.-Iran developments. Bessent’s supportive stance on yen stability and his view that inflation remains subdued helped reinforce expectations for a data-dependent Fed and easing price pressures. Lower oil prices also supported the broader risk sentiment. The article highlights a mixed U.S. dollar, with notable weakness versus AUD and NZD and strength versus CAD, while EUR/USD is one of the key pairs being monitored for technical levels. Overall, the tone is mildly bullish for equities and broadly supportive for risk assets, while bearish for crude oil and mildly negative for the dollar against some major currencies.