Oil Price Surges, Fed Reveals Major Split, Bitcoin Faces Another Sell-off, Semiconductor Stocks Shine

April 30 – Brent crude hit its highest level since June 2022 overnight and this morning amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, while WTI crude jumped 8.2% to $108.11 per barrel. Markets are concerned the Strait of Hormuz stalemate could drag on, quickly shrinking the global supply cushion. Fed Chair Powell’s commitment to remaining in his role and internal Fed concerns about inflation have sparked sharp divisions over interest rate policy. Traders now view a rate hike this year as more likely than a cut. U.S. stocks were mixed on the news, but the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 1.8%—with NXP Semiconductors surging 25%. Post-market earnings moved major tech names: Meta fell on a raised capital expenditure outlook, Microsoft’s cloud growth failed to ease investor doubts about AI returns, and Alphabet rose on strong sales data. Bitcoin weakened again during U.S. trading, retracing its Asian-session gains from yesterday and briefly dipping below $75,000 early this morning. It now trades at $75,818.84. Coinbase’s Bitcoin Premium Index also turned negative today, signaling U.S. investors are selling.