FT News Briefing Investors try to stay ahead of Trump’s Iran moves
93 snips
Mar 26, 2026 
Brooke Masters, FT’s US managing editor and finance veteran, joins George Steer, an FT reporter on US markets and trading. They dig into investors decoding Trump’s Iran signals through wild oil swings, eyebrow-raising derivatives bets, redemption caps rattling private credit funds, a landmark ruling against Meta and Google, and why the WTO may be running out of road.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Oil Traders Track Trump's Weekend Threat Pattern
- George Steer says traders see Trump escalate Iran threats when oil markets are shut, then hint at peace when crude spikes.
- A 6:49am burst of roughly $600mn oil-derivatives bets hit 15 minutes before Trump's Monday post about productive talks.
Markets Now Trust Tehran More Than Trump
- Investors struggle because Trump appears sensitive to surging oil and mortgage rates, yet can still whip markets around with a single post.
- George Steer says traders now wait for Tehran's confirmation and currently trust Iranian statements more than Washington's.
Landmark Verdict Targets Addictive Social Media Design
- A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable after deciding Instagram and YouTube were designed to be addictive to children.
- The plaintiff won $3mn, Snap and TikTok settled earlier, and the ruling could shape many similar lawsuits.