It was 7:24 a.m. on the East Coast of the United States when US President Donald Trump published a tweet announcing a five-day suspension of attacks on Iranian power plants, stressing that “detailed and constructive talks” were taking place. Just a few words were enough to cause major movements in financial markets.
Immediately after the market opened, Wall Street's main index, the S&P 500, rose more than 2%, adding more than a trillion dollars in value. At the same time, Brent and WTI oil prices fell about 12%. These moves indicate immediate reactions to a possible ceasefire signal with Iran.
Minutes before Trump's tweet, markets showed unusual movements: a sudden purchase of the S&P 500 for about $1.5 billion and a sale of oil for about $200 million. The person who carried out these operations made about $50 million in just a few minutes.
It is not known who it was or whether there was any leakage from the White House, especially because the Securities and Exchange Commission is headed by Paul S. Atkins, a close Trump associate.
This is not the first time that President Trump's statements have raised suspicions of market manipulation.
Some recent examples:
March 9: Trump said the war was “practically over,” and the market reacted by rising, while oil prices fell. Later, his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, contradicted him, but the market had already closed and investors had taken advantage of the rise.
March 11: Trump declared that there was "virtually nothing left to strike," causing the market to surge and oil prices to fall in the critical minutes before the close.
Case Three: Before suspending tariffs after the day known as "Liberation Day," Trump wrote: "This is a fantastic time to buy!", again raising suspicions of market manipulation by people in his circle.
These movements show that the president's every word, often just minutes before the market closes, has had a tremendous impact on billions of dollars in investments.
American political scientist Ian Bremmer commented on X (formerly Twitter): "Corruption is the most structurally important part of the administration," indicating that suspicions of illegal practices are not unfounded.
However, despite suspicions of market manipulation and profiteering, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not launched investigations into these cases, leaving many questions unanswered about how some individuals could have gained millions of money, just minutes before the president's statements./ Corriere della Sera