U.S. President Donald Trump watches a press conference on the Iran conflict in the James S. Brady Press Conference Room at the White House on April 6, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Hui Jie from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
Iran is back in the headlines after US President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Tehran, this time using a photo straight out of a James Bond movie, as the US Federal Reserve makes its most divisive decision in decades.
Elsewhere, tech companies are in the spotlight for their earnings, with Microsoft and Alphabet announcing huge capital investments and Samsung Electronics reporting record earnings.
What you need to know today
“Speak quietly and carry a big stick,” former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt famously said.
However, as evidenced by Truth Social, the current occupant of the White House seems to prefer a different approach.
President Trump reiterated his threats against Iran on Wednesday, saying the United States would maintain a naval blockade until Iran agrees to the nuclear deal. This message was conveyed in a unique way on social media.
The rhetoric rattled an already sharp oil market, sending Brent crude prices up 6% to more than $118 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate futures also rose 1.05% to $108.
Markets fell amid uncertainty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for the fifth consecutive day.
At the same time, the Fed made its most divisive decision since 1992 to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75% by an 8-4 split.
This may be Jerome Powell’s last Fed meeting as chairman, but he has vowed to remain on the board given ongoing legal action against him.
Away from politics, earnings season brought a brighter story.
Alphabet beat expectations with 20% revenue growth and raised its 2026 capital spending outlook to up to $190 billion, with further increases expected in 2027. Microsoft also beat expectations, but warned of rising memory costs as spending rises toward levels similar to Alphabet.
In Asia, Samsung Electronics posted a new record in first quarter operating profit, increasing more than eight times, exceeding analysts’ expectations.
In the words of President Roosevelt, “Big Tech may not be soft-spoken, but they sure have very big pocketbooks.”
— Lim Huijie
