Global markets opened under pressure on Sept. 28 as investors reduced risk exposure across multiple asset classes. The Nasdaq 100 fell from 744.45 to 737.76 before the market opened, gold dropped from $4,260 to $4,147, and Bitcoin declined from $84,500 to $82,800. The dollar index also weakened, which QCP said pointed to broad deleveraging rather than a shift into traditional safe-haven assets. QCP identified geopolitics as the main catalyst after the United States rejected proposed ceasefire conditions involving the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, reviving concerns about energy supply disruptions and driving Brent crude sharply higher. U.S. macroeconomic events are dense this week, with the PCE price index and nonfarm payrolls report viewed as key indicators after the Federal Reserve's recent interest-rate hike. Markets remain highly sensitive to data that could influence expectations for further monetary-policy adjustments.