Live From the Milken Institute Global Conference | The Close 5/4/2026

Summary

Bloomberg's special coverage from the Milken Institute Global Conference features a series of interviews with top financial and political leaders. Key themes include the impact of the Iran conflict on oil prices and inflation, the resilience of U.S. equities despite geopolitical uncertainty, the state of private credit and housing policy, and the transformative role of AI across industries.

• Senator Ted Cruz discusses the military success in Iran and the economic leverage of the U.S. blockade.
• Gary Cohn and other executives highlight AI's productivity potential and the need for infrastructure investment.
• PIMCO President Christian Stracke notes demand for international diversification and high-quality fixed income as a haven.
• Oak Hill Advisors CEO Glenn August defends private credit's illiquidity premium despite recent retail redemption stress.
• Guggenheim CIO Anne Walsh forecasts oil to stay elevated near $100 for three months before easing to $80.
• Morgan Stanley's Dan Simkowitz sees a strong M&A pipeline driven by pent-up demand and regulatory ease.
• State Street CEO Ron O’Hanley discusses ETF market dynamics and the partnership model for product launches.
• The housing policy debate around institutional ownership of single-family homes continues with Pretium CEO Don Mullen.