'Lengthy' Hormuz Blockade, US-China Tensions Build, Holland’s Wealth Tax

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.On today's podcast:(1) US equity-index futures rose as investors positioned ahead of a raft of earnings from the largest technology companies in what has been a generally upbeat reporting season. Markets are also awaiting a Federal Reserve policy decision. (2) The US has warned banks they are at risk of secondary sanctions if they support Chinese private refiners that buy Iranian oil, cranking up pressure on Tehran even at the cost of further irking Beijing just weeks ahead of a leaders’ meeting. (3) The shock decision by the United Arab Emirates to quit OPEC blindsided its partners of six decades. Now the cartel will have to fight to stay relevant in a fast-shifting global oil market. (4) Traders in the Treasury options market are bracing for long-dated bond yields to surge past 5% as a rally in oil prices continues unabated. (5) UBS has posted $3 billion dollars in profit in the first three months of the year - smashing past expectations. (6) King Charles III called on the US to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a remarkably pointed speech for a monarch that urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism. (7) The Netherlands is gearing up for a new tax on paper profits, sparking public and political opposition and opening another front in the international push to target the wealthy. Podcast Conversation: King Charles Is Doing an Impossible Job in AmericaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.