S&P 500 ENERGY INDEX FALLS 3% AS OIL PRICES SLIDE MORE THAN 5%

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is developing an internal AI agent codenamed “Remy,” designed as a “24/7 personal agent” that can take actions on users’ behalf, according to an internal document and people familiar with the matter. Integrated across Google services and powered by Gemini, Remy can handle complex tasks, monitor user needs and learn preferences over time. Employees are currently “dogfooding” the tool. The effort underscores Google’s push into AI agents, positioning Remy as a more advanced system comparable in concept to OpenClaw, though no public release timeline is known.

Gold futures rise amid easing Middle East tensions, analysts say. "President Trump's announcement to temporarily pause a U.S.-led plan to provide safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz," has eased these tensions, CBA's Vivek Dhar says in a research report. Gold futures have mostly tracked inversely to the direction of Middle East tensions since prices reached an intraday peak of $5,422 an ounce on March 2, the analyst says. An "upward shift in gold will likely be driven by any cease-fire hopes in the Middle East, market pricing of rate cuts as high energy prices weigh on global growth and Fed independence concerns," Dhar adds.