Shortly before his ultimatum was set to expire, Donald Trump announced a fifteen-day ceasefire agreement overnight, allowing for at least a temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States and Iran are now scheduled to begin talks in Pakistan starting Friday, with the aim of concluding a lasting peace treaty based on a 10-point Iranian proposal.

Oil back below the 100 USD mark

Hope for a resolution to the Middle East conflict is naturally reflected in oil prices, which are in freefall: Brent crude is trading down approximately 10%, slipping back below the symbolic 100 USD threshold to around 93 USD.

"Of course, a multitude of questions remain unanswered regarding the economic damage already caused by the conflict and the surge in energy prices. These questions will need to be addressed," acknowledges Michael Brown, strategist at Pepperstone.

"However, if energy prices do indeed begin to retreat, as I expect, it increases the likelihood that central banks will be prepared to view higher headline inflation as transitory," the professional continues.

According to Michael Brown, this perception of a merely temporary inflationary spike would reduce the risks of monetary policy tightening, which would otherwise exacerbate the negative shock of the war on demand.

Slight rebound in German industrial orders in February

Following an 11.1% plunge in January compared to the previous month, real new orders in the German manufacturing sector rose by 0.9% in February 2026, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The office further noted that when large-scale orders are excluded, new industrial orders in Germany were 3.5% higher in February than in the preceding month.

Elsewhere on today's statistical agenda, traders will monitor the French trade balance, followed by industrial producer prices and retail sales in the Eurozone for the month of February.

Transformation plan at Rémy Cointreau

In Paris corporate news, Rémy Cointreau has announced the launch of a transformation plan, which "marks a decisive evolution focused on reclaiming markets and maximizing the potential of its brands."

In this context, the spirits house also announced a reorganization to improve efficiency and agility: a steering committee within the executive committee, composed of five departments reporting to the CEO.

The long-term care group emeis published its 2025 results, highlighting a 19.2% increase in EBITDAR on a constant perimeter basis, thus exceeding its guidance (of +15% to +18%).

Standard & Poor's has upgraded its long-term credit rating on Viridien to "B" with a stable outlook, up from "B-" with a positive outlook, and raised its rating on senior secured bonds to "B+" from "B."