US Stock Market Three Major Indices Rise Collectively, International Oil Prices Pull Back

On March 13, the three major U.S. stock indices all rose collectively. As of press time, the Dow Jones increased by 0.64%, the Nasdaq by 0.47%, and the S&P 500 by 0.52%.

In the commodities market, international oil prices declined. As of press time, WTI crude oil futures fell over 2%, trading at $93.66 per barrel.

Global News

Trump urges oil tankers to “show some courage” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

According to Fox News on the 12th, U.S. President Trump, in an interview with the channel, encouraged oil tankers to “show some courage” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. When asked about the risks faced by tankers in the Strait, Trump said, “Nothing to fear. They (Iran) don’t have a navy. We’ve sunk all their ships.”

U.S. initiates Section 301 investigation on 16 economies, including China, citing “overcapacity”; Ministry of Commerce responds

A reporter asked: On March 11, U.S. Trade Representative’s Office announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation on 16 economies, including China, citing “overcapacity.” What is China’s comment? Answer: China notes that the U.S. has launched a Section 301 investigation on 16 economies, including China, citing “overcapacity.” Section 301 investigations are typical unilateral actions that severely disrupt the international trade order. WTO expert panels have already ruled that tariffs imposed based on Section 301 violate WTO rules.

Ministry of Commerce spokesperson answers questions on China-U.S. economic and trade consultations

A reporter asked: We note that China previously stated that China and the U.S. will hold the 6th round of China-U.S. economic and trade consultations soon. Does the Ministry of Commerce have any latest updates? Answer: According to the agreement between China and the U.S., Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead a delegation to France from March 14 to 17 for economic and trade talks. Both sides will base their discussions on the important consensus reached during the China-U.S. leaders’ summit in Busan and previous calls, focusing on economic and trade issues of mutual concern.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister: Some countries’ ships allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency on the 12th, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ravanchi stated in an interview that Iran allows some countries’ ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Ravanchi said that some countries have discussed navigation issues with Iran, and Iran has cooperated with them, but countries involved in aggression against Iran do not have “safe passage rights” through the Strait.

Federal Reserve’s full-year rate cut expectations drop below 1 for the first time! Will rising oil prices trigger a global rate hike wave?

Latest signs show that, amid soaring energy prices and inflation concerns, market expectations for the Fed to cut rates are weakening, and a global rate hike wave may arrive sooner… Over the past few days, traders have quickly abandoned hopes that the Fed will ease monetary policy in early summer. This shift in outlook comes amid U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran and oil prices rising to around $100 per barrel.

Company News

Apple announces reduction of App Store commission rates in China

On the 13th, Apple’s developer official website announced that, following discussions with Chinese regulators, Apple will lower the commission rates for mobile and tablet operating systems in China. The standard commission rate for in-app purchases and paid apps will be reduced from 30% to 25%. Eligible apps under the Small Developer Program and Mini Program Partner Program will see their in-app purchase and first-year automatic renewal subscription commission rates lowered from 15% to 12%.

Meta’s massive investments seem to go nowhere? Latest AI model delayed, performance lags behind peers

Currently, many U.S. tech giants are heavily investing to expand their AI visions. However, facing competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, despite pouring money, still seems to lag behind.

Microsoft stock continues to decline, $1 trillion market value evaporates in 5 months

Microsoft’s stock has been declining steadily over the past few months. Some institutions recently downgraded Microsoft’s rating. In February, Melius Research lowered its rating from “Buy” to “Hold,” with a target price of $430. Additionally, Stifel downgraded Microsoft from “Buy” to “Hold,” reducing the target price from $540 to $392.

A safe haven in turbulent markets: Amazon issues $54 billion bonds, snapped up by investors

This week, the bank responsible for selling Amazon’s bonds sent a clear message to investors: in an increasingly unpredictable world, this company is a relatively safe investment. On Tuesday, Amazon issued $37 billion in bonds across 11 maturities in the U.S., with subscription orders from asset management firms reaching as high as $126 billion, approaching a record.

Elon Musk announces Tesla’s collaboration with xAI to develop the Digital Pillar

Recently, U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed a new project developed in partnership with AI startup xAI, called the “Digital Pillar.” Musk said this system aims to simulate the full operation of a software company. On the 11th, Musk posted that the “Digital Pillar” system will use xAI’s Grok large language model as its core “navigator,” combined with Tesla’s AI agents, capable of analyzing computer screen videos in real-time and executing keyboard and mouse operations to perform various tasks, including coding, content creation, and product testing.