Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Market Volatility
Stocks fell sharply bloomberg.com as Middle East tensions escalated, with the S&P 500 posting its worst week since June. MongoDB shares plunged bloomberg.com over 20% after the database company issued weak forecasts for fiscal 2027 revenue and first-quarter earnings. Meanwhile, Domo stock surged finance.yahoo.com on positive news, though specific details weren't disclosed in the brief report.
Geopolitical Impact
Wall Street strategists warn against betting on Trump rescuing rattled markets amid the Iran conflict. Energy prices climbed ft.com as war concerns mount, while bond traders curbed rate cut expectations bloomberg.com due to inflation worries stoked by the conflict. Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Rebecca Patterson believes the Middle East conflict will leave "no country unaffected" due to its impact on the oil industry.
Corporate Developments
Starbucks plans to open a Nashville office wsj.com later this year as part of expansion efforts in the U.S. Target's new CEO outlined overhaul plans bloomberg.com, including trendy food products and in-store beauty services to drive growth. Ross Stores forecast same-store sales growth bloomberg.com that topped analyst estimates as the off-price retailer capitalizes on affordability concerns.
Tech & AI
Anthropic's Claude became the most popular free app on iPhone and Android amid fallout from the Trump administration's actions. GitLab sees AI agent platforms wsj.com and hybrid pricing driving growth, with revenue increasing 23% in the latest quarter. BNY Mellon's CIO discussed AI upskilling bloomberg.com, while hedge fund founder Divya Nettimi predicts fleets of AI bots will supercharge hedge fund power within three to five years.
Financial Sector
Blackstone executives opened wallets bloomberg.com with its flagship private credit fund under pressure. House Committee wants Goldman Sachs General Counsel to testify wsj.com on Epstein-related matters. Moderna agreed to pay up to $2.25 billion finance.yahoo.com to settle COVID vaccine patent disputes. News Corp and Meta struck an AI content licensing deal wsj.com worth up to $50 million annually.
Defense & Aerospace
SpaceX added Citigroup to its IPO bank lineup bloomberg.com as Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company moves closer to going public. CrowdStrike swung to profit wsj.com with sales rising 23% in the quarter ended January 31. The company also beat Q4 estimates investing.com and issued an in-line outlook.