U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Marine One as it departs from the South Lawn of the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence on March 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smialowski AFP | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Leonie Kidd and I’m from London. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
Markets on Wednesday appeared to be taking President Trump’s report on a 15-point peace plan as a sign that the escalation in the ongoing war with Iran and across the Middle East is easing.
Details are unclear, but the New York Times reports that the program addresses ballistic missiles, a nuclear program, and maritime routes. Given the uncertainty about who the US is actually negotiating with, there are growing concerns that this is more of a wish list than a peace plan.
The market is looking positive, at least for today.
What you need to know today
President Donald Trump reiterated Tuesday that the United States and Iran are “currently negotiating,” suggesting that Iran is keen to reach a peace deal despite the Islamic Republic’s denials of direct talks with the United States.
These comments were followed by a report in the New York Times, citing two unnamed officials, suggesting that the U.S. government had sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war.
The plan was reportedly sent through Pakistan, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan was ready to facilitate negotiations between the parties to the conflict.
Across the market, oil prices are falling in early trading. total energy Boss Patrick Pouyanne told CNBC in an exclusive interview late Tuesday that the world has “never experienced” such high refining margins. In another interview with the Telegraph, he said: shell CEO Wael Sawan has warned that Europe could face fuel shortages within days.
In the stock market, Korean stocks are likely to lift Asian markets overall, and European stock indexes are also likely to start rising on expectations for further substantive measures to ease tensions.
In corporate news, Meta is granting stock options to key leaders to retain talent as the company comes under increasing pressure to strengthen its position in artificial intelligence.
Incentive plan executives include CFO Susan Lee, technology director Andrew Bosworth, chief product officer Christopher Cox and executive director Javier Oliván, according to an SEC filing released Tuesday night. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has a net worth of more than $200 billion, is not part of the plan.
“This is a big gamble,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
— Leonie Kidd
And finally…
David Blitzer and Blackstone-backed group buys Indian cricket franchise for $1.8 billion
A consortium comprising Blackstone and American serial sports investor David Blitzer has acquired the Indian Premier League’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise in a deal valued at 166 billion rupees ($1.78 billion).
Blitzer is one of the world’s most prominent sports investors, owning stakes in major league franchises including the English Premier League, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.
The deal highlights growing investor interest in the IPL, which is also billed as the world’s richest cricket league.
— Priyanka Salve
