WS #9539

US stock futures rose as CPI data eased rate-hike fears, with the Bloomberg headline 'US STOCK FUTURES RISE AS CPI EASES RATE-HIKE FEARS' corroborated by Seeking Alpha noting 'Stock index futures higher as U.S. 'completes' strikes against Iran'. The US-Iran conflict narrative shows a potential de-escalation signal: the US 'completes' strikes against Iran, which may reduce immediate escalation risk. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned US strikes on Iranian territory, stating the April 8 ceasefire is effectively void, maintaining tension. Oil prices eased slightly, but the Strait of Hormuz traffic normalization bets on Polymarket suggest some optimism. On the corporate front, Hugo Boss shares jumped 7% after Frasers Group made a near-€2bn takeover bid, a positive for BOSS. Anthropic partnered with India's TCS to offer enterprise AI services, a positive for TCS and AI sector. Alibaba and JD.com shares fell as Beijing rebuked misleading discount campaigns, negative for BABA and JD. The dominant theme is US-Iran conflict STABLE with a slight de-escalation tilt, but the ceasefire is effectively void per Iran, keeping oil risk elevated. The CPI data is a positive macro signal for equities.