Shell plcOil price surge on supply disruption fears benefits Shell's upstream earnings; also mentioned upbeat guidance.

European stocks are expected to open lower on Wednesday as a global tech sell-off deepens and rising US-Iran tensions send oil prices sharply higher, reigniting inflation and interest rate concerns. Iran accused the United States of violating last month's peace agreement after the US launched airstrikes on more than 80 military sites in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and also revoked a waiver that allowed Iran to sell oil globally. Brent crude surged nearly 3 percent toward $77 a barrel on supply disruption fears, while gold held above $4,100 an ounce ahead of the Federal Reserve's June meeting minutes. Asian markets were broadly lower, though Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped more than 2 percent on a Reuters report that China's DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip. On Tuesday, the pan-European Stoxx 600 fell 0.7 percent, with Germany's DAX losing 1.4 percent and France's CAC 40 shedding half a percent, while the UK's FTSE 100 edged up 0.1 percent led by energy stocks after Shell's upbeat guidance.
Shell plcOil price surge on supply disruption fears benefits Shell's upstream earnings; also mentioned upbeat guidance.