Global stock markets rose Wednesday as traders assessed company earnings and economic data, while oil prices barreled ahead three percent following US-Iran talks. On Iran, "reports pointing to major military action naturally raise the risk of some kind of closure of the Hormuz straits, and while an oil rally has been an off again/on again move for some weeks, sustained action in the region is likely to precipitate a significant move higher in prices," observed Chris Beauchamp, chief market analy