🌅 NordFX MORNING UPDATE | May 18, 2026 📉 Wall Street closed Friday in the red. The S&P 500 shed 1.24% to 7,408, the Dow lost 1.07% to 49,526, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.54% to 26,225 - pulling back from all-time highs hit Thursday. The Trump-Xi Beijing summit ended without major concrete breakthroughs, disappointing markets. Monday futures are extending losses: S&P 500 futures down ~0.70%. 🌏 Asian markets sold off Monday morning. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.45% to ~60,520 as oil-price surge weighed on Japan's import-dependent economy. Australia's ASX 200 lost 0.11% to 8,630. China's Shanghai Composite edged down 0.15% to 4,129, while the Hang Seng index opened under pressure after Friday's 1.62% drop to 25,962. 🛢️ Oil surges on fresh Gulf tensions. New drone attacks in the Gulf this Monday morning pushed Brent crude to ~$111.75/barrel (+2.3%) and WTI above $103-105. The Strait of Hormuz remains shut - the IEA warns global supply could stay undersupplied through October even if the conflict ends next month. 🏅 Gold under pressure. Spot gold trades near $4,510-4,560/oz - its lowest since March - after losing more than 4% last week. Surging US inflation data has markets fully pricing out any Fed rate cuts in 2026; some traders now price in a rate hike by December. 💱 Forex snapshot. EUR/USD holds near 1.16, five-week lows, as the stronger dollar dominates. USD/JPY around 156-157, with US yields and oil-driven inflation supporting the greenback. ₿ Bitcoin below $77,000. BTC trades near $76,800 amid risk-off sentiment, rate hike fears, and whale profit-taking. Over $527M in leveraged long positions were liquidated during Monday's early Asian session. 🎯 Key focus this week: Nvidia earnings (AI bellwether), US-Iran negotiations, and Fed commentary on the inflation-rate path. ⚠️ This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.