SPOT PLATINUM RISES NEARLY 3% TO $1,960.40/OZ

S&P 500 UP 0.1%, DOW UP 0.4%, NASDAQ DOWN 0.1%

US crude settled above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, with West Texas Intermediate rising over 3% to $102.88, the highest since July 2022. Global benchmark Brent is on track for a record percentage gain in March. Prices have surged as the war involving the US, Israel and Iran disrupts markets and halts shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over higher inflation and slower economic growth.