Capital Markets
European stock markets climbed to their highest levels in more than two months on Monday, 25 May 2026, on the back of rising expectations that the United States and Iran are close to a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Germany's DAX rose 1.6% and France's CAC 40 by 1.8%, extending a rally that would mark the fifth consecutive day of gains for European equities. The FTSE 100 was closed for a UK bank holiday. Oil prices fell by more than 5% after US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that negotiations were "proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner," adding that he had instructed his representatives not to rush. Japan's Nikkei 225 simultaneously breached 65,000 for the first time, driven by the same geopolitical optimism and reduced energy price pressure. With US markets also closed for Memorial Day, trading volumes were thin, amplifying the price moves. Market participants and analysts cautioned that even a successful peace deal would not immediately restore pre-war oil price levels, with energy supply chains expected to take time to recover — meaning inflation concerns and the associated calls for higher-for-longer interest rates are unlikely to dissipate quickly. The near-term risk premium compression in equity markets reflects sentiment rather than a fundamental energy market repricing.
Why this matters
A sustained fall in oil prices — if underpinned by a genuine Hormuz deal — would ease the inflationary pressure that has kept European central bank rate expectations elevated, with direct consequences for bond markets and debt issuance windows. Capital markets lawyers need to track this closely: tighter credit spreads (the gap between borrowing costs for a company and a risk-free benchmark) and a stabilising rate environment would unlock pent-up corporate bond and IPO pipeline that has been deferred since the Iran conflict began. The FTSE 100's closure today means London-listed issuers and their advisers will need to absorb the continental move when markets reopen on Tuesday. The caveat from analysts — that inflation worries are 'going nowhere' — suggests any issuance window reopening may be narrower and more selective than the headline equity rally implies.
On the Ground
On a debt capital markets transaction, a trainee would assist with pricing supplement drafting, coordinate comfort letter requests from auditors, and prepare PDMR (Person Discharging Managerial Responsibilities — senior executives required to report personal securities dealings) notification letters ahead of a pricing date. On an equity offering, they would assist with verification note preparation, cross-referencing every fact in a prospectus against underlying source documents.
Interview prep
Question you might get
“If oil prices fall significantly following a Hormuz deal, how would you advise a corporate client considering whether to launch a bond offering in the next 60 days?”
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A model answer you can lift into an interview — how to frame this story for a partner.
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