A calmer end to the week for markets?

AI summary

<p class="text-align-justify" style="text-align: justify;">Despite US president Trump saying that the ceasefire deal is "over", things have not gone up in flames just yet. The US and Iran are still exchanging strikes but neither side appears to be very interested to take a step further to escalate things to a point where we see a complete reset on relations.</p><p class="text-align-justify" style="text-align: justify;">That is not to say the current situation is not bad though. It is that things can still get worse, should either side decide to escalate things from a military standpoint. One encouraging headline from earlier is that a US official is claiming that <a href="https://investinglive.com/news/reports-a-us-official-says-talks-will-continue-with-iran-on-nukes" rel="follow">nuclear/uranium talks may still proceed</a> accordingly.</p><p class="text-align-justify" style="text-align: justify;">For now though, the Strait of Hormuz is pretty much in de facto closure again as ship traffic grinds to a standstill. Meanwhile, both sides appear to be disinterested to resume negotiations but at the same time reluctant to escalate things from a war perspective. So, the limbo is pretty much keeping markets in check.</p><p class="text-align-justify" style="text-align: justify;">Traders and investors will continue to hope for things to take a turn for the better. And in a time like this, a quieter period might be better as it means less likelihood of both sides squabbling and exchang