US Tells Iran ‘Clock Is Ticking’, Stocks Fall as Brent Hits $110 | The Opening Trade 5/18/2026
Speakers
Ben Jones
— Global Head of Research, Invesco
Mark Cudmore
— Executive Editor, Bloomberg Live / Macro Strategist
Anna Edwards
— Anchor, Bloomberg TV (London)
Summary
The May 18, 2026 opening trade covers market selloff driven by rising oil prices from Iran tensions, a global bond rout, and weak China data. Guests discuss implications for jet fuel, AI stocks, European equities, and real estate. Nvidia earnings and SpaceX IPO are key events ahead.
- Oil prices rise to $111 Brent as Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
- Global bond yields surge, 30-year JGB highest since 1999.
- Chinese retail sales growth slows sharply to 0.2%.
- Ryanair warns of rising costs from jet fuel, shares fall 4%.
- Invesco suggests ASML as an underappreciated AI play outside US.
- Goldman Sachs sees jet fuel inventories critically low by summer.
- G7 finance ministers meet in Paris amid energy and inflation concerns.
- SpaceX IPO filing expected as soon as Wednesday.
Trade Ideas
ASML is underappreciated non-US AI play.
Non-US AI opportunities are underappreciated, and ASML is the obvious European AI chip stock to play the AI theme. ASML benefits from being the only major European semiconductor equipment maker exposed to AI-driven demand.
Up Next
This Bloomberg Markets video, published May 18, 2026, features Ben Jones discussing ASML. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.