Middle East, Asia Risk-On and Wall Street Closed

Middle East, Asia Risk-On and Wall Street Closed

Falling oil prices revive risk appetite, while 4FT Invest algorithms operate during the Asian session

May 25, 2026 opens with global markets still dominated by the situation in the Middle East. The latest signals from the United States point to negotiations with Iran that remain fragile, though not without progress: Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is aiming for a “good deal” with Tehran, while leaving open the possibility of “another path” should diplomacy fail. The dossier remains focused on three key elements: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program, and the removal or easing of pressures on regional energy traffic.

Markets, at least in the early hours of the day, chose to see the glass as half full. The prospect of a more stable reopening of Hormuz pushed oil prices lower: Reuters reported Brent down by more than 5%, below the $100-per-barrel area, and WTI falling toward the $91 area. The reaction was immediate: a weaker dollar, cyclical currencies recovering, and greater risk appetite across equity assets.

In Asia, the May 25 session confirmed the return of risk appetite. According to Reuters/LSEG data, the Nikkei 225 posted a gain of nearly 3%, moving above the 65,000-point area; the Hang Seng rose 0.86%, the Shanghai Composite gained 0.66%, and the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries advanced 0.43%. India also took part in the positive move, with the Sensex rising and the Nifty supported by the decline in crude oil prices, a particularly relevant factor for an economy that is a net energy importer.

For Europe, the opening picture appears constructive, though not without caution. Lower oil prices may ease inflationary pressures and support sectors such as travel, transportation, industry and consumer goods; at the same time, uncertainty around negotiations between the United States and Iran calls for prudence on energy, defense and sectors more exposed to geopolitical volatility. Liquidity could be lower than usual: the London Stock Exchange is closed for the Spring Bank Holiday, while Euronext and Xetra remain open on May 25.

The European session should therefore move along two main lines: on the one hand, support from Asian sentiment and the correction in oil prices; on the other, awareness that a final agreement has not yet been reached. In this context, investors will be watching the resilience of European futures, the behavior of the euro, bond yields and any new statements from Washington, Tehran or Tel Aviv.

The U.S. market will remain closed today. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are not operating on Monday, May 25, 2026, for Memorial Day, the U.S. federal holiday dedicated to honoring American military personnel who died in service. Regular trading will resume on Tuesday.

In the absence of Wall Street, global price action may be less liquid but no less meaningful. On days with reduced volumes, algorithmic reactions to news flows can become particularly relevant: spreads, intraday volatility and execution speed tend to play a central role.

It is within this scenario that the overnight trading activity carried out by the advanced algorithms of 4FT Invest Ltd on MT4, on the NAS100 M30 timeframe, takes place. During the Asian session, without any manual intervention, the algorithm opened three long trades in sequence. The first two correctly captured the index’s bullish acceleration and closed in profit. The third, opened in the final phase of the move, was managed through advanced risk-control criteria and closed with a slight loss.

The most important point is not only the direction of the trade, but the quality of the process. The algorithm operated autonomously during a complex time window, reading NAS100 momentum in a context shaped by geopolitics, oil, the dollar and Asian market sentiment. The management of the third trade demonstrates an essential principle of quantitative trading: not every entry must necessarily generate a profit, but every exposure must be controlled.

The advantages of algorithmic trading emerge precisely on days like this: continuous operation even during overnight hours, absence of emotion, discipline in execution, simultaneous reading of multiple timeframes, systematic risk management and the ability to react quickly to changes in volatility and trend. In a global market that never sleeps, the difference lies not only in “predicting” the move, but in having tools capable of monitoring, executing and managing it with method.

The May 25 session therefore confirms an increasingly evident dynamic: geopolitics, energy, equity markets and financial technology are now part of the same decision-making ecosystem. In this context, the automated trading activity of 4FT Invest Ltd represents a concrete example of how advanced algorithms can transform volatility and complexity into a structured operating process.

Note: this content is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment solicitation or a guarantee of future performance. Trading involves risk.