{"id":60398,"date":"2026-03-31T19:38:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T19:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:38:28","slug":"global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Rally as US Prepares $166B Tariff Refund and UK Backs Wegovy for Heart Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Healthcare_Wegovy_Gains_Key_UK_Recommendation\" >Healthcare: Wegovy Gains Key UK Recommendation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Trade_US_Prepares_166B_Tariff_Refund_Portal\" >Trade: U.S. Prepares $166B Tariff Refund Portal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Energy_Tech_Microsoft_Eyes_7B_Texas_Power_Project\" >Energy &amp; Tech: Microsoft Eyes $7B Texas Power Project<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Asia-Pacific_Australia_Markets_and_AI_Safety\" >Asia-Pacific: Australia Markets and AI Safety<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-as-us-prepares-166b-tariff-refund-and-uk-backs-wegovy-for-heart-health\/60398\/#Commodities_Crypto_Geopolitics_and_Nasdaq_Listings\" >Commodities &amp; Crypto: Geopolitics and Nasdaq Listings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>UK\u2019s NICE recommends Wegovy (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVO\">NVO<\/a>) for cardiovascular risk reduction<\/strong> in adults with obesity, paving the way for NHS integration by late April.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. Treasury rushes to launch a digital portal<\/strong> to process <strong>$166 billion<\/strong> in refunds for Trump-era tariffs recently ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/MSFT\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"18\" title=\"Stock: MSFT\">Microsoft<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) and Engine No. 1<\/strong> are in exclusive talks for a <strong>$7 billion<\/strong> natural gas power project in Texas to support data centers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Australia\u2019s S&amp;P\/ASX 200 surged 1.6%<\/strong> in early trade as Treasurer Chalmers proposed emergency credit limits and loan restructuring to bolster the economy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anthropic signs a landmark AI safety deal with Australia<\/strong>, the first arrangement under the nation\u2019s new National AI Plan to track economic data and AI progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Healthcare_Wegovy_Gains_Key_UK_Recommendation\"><\/span>Healthcare: Wegovy Gains Key UK Recommendation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The UK\u2019s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended <strong>Novo Nordisk (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVO\">NVO<\/a>)<\/strong>&#39;s Wegovy (2.4mg) for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity. This decision, based on the <strong>SELECT trial<\/strong> showing a <strong>20% reduction<\/strong> in heart attacks and strokes, marks the first time a GLP-1 medication has been recommended specifically for cardiovascular prevention in this population.<\/p>\n<p>Final guidance is expected by the end of April 2026, with the treatment to be introduced within existing <strong>NHS cardiovascular care pathways<\/strong>. <em>Analysts suggest this integration could significantly broaden the market for weight-loss drugs by framing them as essential preventative heart medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trade_US_Prepares_166B_Tariff_Refund_Portal\"><\/span>Trade: U.S. Prepares $166B Tariff Refund Portal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. government is moving quickly to launch a digital refund portal for <strong>$166 billion<\/strong> in duties collected under the Trump administration&#39;s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that declared the unilateral tariffs unlawful, creating an operational crisis as thousands of importers, including <strong>FedEx<\/strong> and <strong>Costco<\/strong>, seek to recoup billions.<\/p>\n<p>The Treasury has transitioned to a <strong>&quot;Digital Only&quot;<\/strong> payment model via the ACE portal to handle the volume of claims. <em>Trade experts warn that businesses must ensure their ACH setup is active to receive their share of the massive refund pool.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Energy_Tech_Microsoft_Eyes_7B_Texas_Power_Project\"><\/span>Energy &amp; Tech: Microsoft Eyes $7B Texas Power Project<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/MSFT\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"18\" title=\"Stock: MSFT\">Microsoft<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> and investment fund <strong>Engine No. 1<\/strong> have entered into a proposed agreement for a massive <strong>2,500-megawatt<\/strong> natural gas-fired power plant in West Texas. The project, estimated to cost <strong>$7 billion<\/strong>, is designed to provide dedicated electricity offtake for a large-scale data center campus, bypassing the traditional grid to ensure reliability for AI workloads.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chevron (<a href=\"\/stock\/CVX\">CVX<\/a>)<\/strong>, which was initially linked to the discussions, clarified that no commercial terms have been finalized and no definitive agreement is in place for its participation at this time. <em>The &quot;power foundry&quot; model reflects a growing trend of tech giants securing behind-the-meter energy resources to fuel the AI boom.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Asia-Pacific_Australia_Markets_and_AI_Safety\"><\/span>Asia-Pacific: Australia Markets and AI Safety<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Australia\u2019s S&amp;P\/ASX 200<\/strong> jumped <strong>1.6%<\/strong> to reach <strong>8,618.20<\/strong> in early trade, buoyed by signals of government support for the private sector. Treasurer Jim Chalmers indicated that the government is considering <strong>temporary payment deferrals<\/strong>, loan restructuring, and <strong>emergency credit limit increases<\/strong> to assist households and businesses facing economic pressure.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the Australian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with <strong>Anthropic<\/strong> to collaborate on AI safety and economic data tracking. This deal is the first under Australia&#39;s <strong>National AI Plan<\/strong>, aiming to align AI infrastructure development with national safety standards while monitoring the technology&#39;s impact on the local workforce.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Commodities_Crypto_Geopolitics_and_Nasdaq_Listings\"><\/span>Commodities &amp; Crypto: Geopolitics and Nasdaq Listings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold<\/a><\/strong> prices held a three-day gain as geopolitical tensions showed signs of shifting. President Trump stated that the U.S. could potentially end hostilities with <strong>Iran<\/strong> within two to three weeks, a comment that led to a sharp <strong>$4 drop<\/strong> in crude <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> as markets weighed the possibility of restored trade through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>In the digital asset space, crypto manager <strong>CoinShares<\/strong> is set to begin trading on the <strong>Nasdaq<\/strong> following a SPAC merger with <strong>Vine Hill Capital Investment Corp (<a href=\"\/stock\/VCIC\">VCIC<\/a>)<\/strong>. The deal values the manager at approximately <strong>$1.2 billion<\/strong>, providing the European firm with a critical foothold in the U.S. market to accelerate its institutional product offerings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways UK\u2019s NICE recommends Wegovy (NVO) for cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with obesity, paving the way for NHS 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