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Children walk near a billboard bearing the image of targeting ships, on the day Yemen’s Houthi-run forces targeted an American ship in the Red Sea, on a street in Sana’a, Yemen, on Jan. 10, 2024.

Mohammed Hamoud | Getty Images

An oil tanker operated on behalf of Trafigura was struck by a missile on Friday after transiting the Red Sea, a company spokesperson told CNBC in statement.

The Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel, was struck by the missile in the Gulf of Aden. Firefighting equipment on board is being used to suppress a fire in one of the cargo tanks, the spokesperson said.

“We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully,” Trafigura said. “Military ships in the region are underway to provide assistance.”

Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the attack, describing the vessel as a “British oil ship.” Trafigura said the vessel is flagged under the Marshall Islands.

The militants used a “number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct and resulted in the burning of the vessel,” the Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement.

Houthi militants in Yemen have attacked commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea since November in support of Palestinians. The U.S. and UK began a series of airstrikes against the militia on Jan. 11 aimed at deterring the Iranian-backed group.

Houthi militants fired a ballistic missile at the U.S. Navy destroyer Carney in the Gulf of Aden earlier on Friday, according to U.S. Central Command. The missile was shot down by the Carney. No injuries or damage were reported, according to CENTCOM.

Several of the world’s major oil tanker companies paused traffic toward the Red Sea immediately after the U.S. and Britain began launching airstrikes against the Houthis earlier this month.

U.S. crude oil on Friday settled at $78.01 a barrel to close out its best week since Sept. 1. The global Brent benchmark settled at $83.55 a barrel, posting its best week since Oct. 13.

The West Texas Intermediate contract for March was last up 74 cents, or 0.96%, at $78.10 a barrel. The Brent March contract was trading at $83.73 a barrel, up $1.30 or 1.58%.

Oil futures have not responded dramatically to escalating tensions in the Middle East so far because there has not been a major disruption to supply. Analysts have warned that a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iran could send prices significantly higher.

Robert Thummel, portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, told CNBC on Thursday that the market is not pricing enough geopolitical risk into crude prices. Thummel said WTI should really be trading at $85 right now given the tensions in the Middle East.

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CNBC Daily Open: Tech sell-off? Investors could just be taking profit and enjoying the summer

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CNBC Daily Open: Tech sell-off? Investors could just be taking profit and enjoying the summer

A Palantir sign at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on May 22, 2022.

Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images

If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.

For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.

Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — had its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.

While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.

Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.

Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”

Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.

What you need to know today

And finally…

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Andrew Harnik | Getty Images

Red carpet for Putin, trade relief for China, penalties on India: Inside Trump’s peculiar policy playbook

U.S. President Donald Trump is pursuing an unusual strategy — courting Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding fire on Beijing, all the while turning the screws on India.

Despite India being one of the earliest nations to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration, there is still no sign of it sealing a deal with America. New Delhi is now also staring at a secondary tariff of 25% or a “penalty” for its purchases of Russian oil that is set to come into effect later this month.

— Anniek Bao

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don’t let it ruin your summer

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don't let it ruin your summer

Palantir Technologies signage on an options contract ticker as traders work on the floor of American Stock Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Friday, June 20, 2025.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.

For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.

Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — spent its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.

While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.

Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.

Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”

Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.

What you need to know today

Fed officials divided over inflation and employment worries. Central bank governors generally agreed there were risks on both sides. But a couple — breaking from the majority — saw the labor market woes as more pressing, according to minutes of the Fed’s July meeting.

Trump likely to pick Kevin Hassett as next Fed Chair. The director of the National Economic Council firmly led the pack, according to a CNBC Fed Survey. However, respondents think the president “should” pick former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh.

No new solar or wind power projects, Trump says. Renewable energy projects will no longer receive approval, Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social. His comment comes after the administration already tightened federal permitting last month. 

Fourth day of losses for the S&P 500. Investors continued selling off technology stocks on Wednesday, with Palantir having its sixth straight losing day. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 closed at another high despite inflation in July coming in hotter than expected.

[PRO] The Fed is expected to cut just as markets trade at highs. This is what tends to happen when both factors coincide, according to Goldman Sachs research.

And finally…

United States President Donald Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US. Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025.

Aaron Schwartz – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images

Trump has snapped up more than $100 million in bonds since taking office

U.S. President Donald Trump has been on a multimillion-dollar bond-buying spree since taking office in January, investing in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major American corporations.

Across 33 pages of filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, or OGE, dated Aug. 12, the president outlined 690 transactions that have taken place since he took office. The documents were made public on Tuesday.

— Chloe Taylor

Correction: This report has been updated to correct the spelling of Kevin Hasset’s name.

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Tesla offers used car leases with $0 down as it desperately tries move cars

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Tesla offers used car leases with alt=

Tesla has started offering leases of certified pre-owned cars, which is relatively rare in the industry, with $0 down as it desperately tries to move vehicles before the end of the quarter.

With the federal tax credit for electric vehicles set to expire at the end of the quarter, automakers in the US are all trying to optimize EV sales, as demand is being pulled forward.

This also applies to used EVs, as the $4,000 federal incentive for used electric vehicles will also expire on September 30th.

Now, leasing used vehicles is much less common than leasing new cars, but some automakers, or mainly dealers, do offer it.

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Tesla is getting into this business for the first time.

In California and Texas, Tesla is now offering leases on certified pre-owned (aka used) Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

These are reasonably priced and can be as low as $215 per month with $0 down for a 24-month lease and 10,000 miles per year.

Tesla also offers a 12-month lease and up to 15,000 miles annually. While there’s no down payment needed, there’s an “Acquisition Fee” of $695.

That, and the first month, is all you need to get in a used Tesla for the next year or two.

This is undoubtedly the cheapest way to get into a Tesla vehicle right now.

Tesla is trying to sell as many vehicles as possible in the US this quarter, as demand for EVs has been pulled forward due to the end of the tax credit. This is expected to result in a record quarter in the US, but it also going to create a few difficult ones in the future.

With demand being pulled forward and future buyers feeling like they missed out on EV discounts, the US EV market is expected to experience a significant slowdown over the next 12 to 18 months.

Tesla sales are down about 13% globally so far this year. While this quarter is expected to be better, many analysts still anticipate Tesla’s year-over-year performance to be down.

This year alone, Tesla added more than 50,000 electric vehicles to its inventory.

Used cars have also been piling up.

Tesla owners rushed to sell their vehicles as Tesla’s brand perception dived following its CEO’s involvement in politics.

We previously reported that the average used Tesla sale price has recently dipped below the overall average used car sale price in the US.

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