Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Energy Markets & Geopolitics
Oil prices wsj.com surged as Venezuelan crude shipments increased while Iran war disruptions stalled global oil flows. Trump bloomberg.com expressed confidence in the US military campaign against Iran even as the timeline for operations remained unclear on the fifth day of Middle East conflict. UK mortgage costs bloomberg.com are set to rise as swap rates hit yearly highs amid Iran war uncertainty.
Corporate Leadership & Strategy
Delta Air Lines wsj.com is overhauling its C-suite with the retirement of its longtime president and the upcoming departure of its operations chief. Berkshire Hathaway wsj.com resumed share buybacks, departing from Warren Buffett's recent avoidance of repurchases. Berkshire CEO Greg Abel bloomberg.com said the conglomerate has no immediate plans to alter its Kraft Heinz stake after the food company paused its split plans.
Tech & AI Developments
CVS finance.yahoo.com is rolling out an AI-powered health platform using Google Cloud technology. Science Corp finance.yahoo.com raised $230 million to accelerate its brain implant development. Lio finance.yahoo.com secured $30 million from Andreeseen Horowitz to automate enterprise procurement. Rapid Anthropic growth investing.com is boosting expectations for Magnificent 7 stocks.
Financial Markets & Investment
Apple investing.com iPhone shipments in China dropped 37% year-over-year in January according to UBS data. Morgan Stanley investing.com no longer expects the ECB to implement rate cuts in 2026. BofA sees card networks as safest bets, maintaining bullish positions on Visa and Mastercard. Barclays investing.com cut TF1 stock to Underweight citing potential Middle East conflict impacts.
Infrastructure & Real Estate
Six Flags wsj.com agreed to sell seven regional amusement parks to EPR Properties for $331 million in cash. EQT Real Estate bloomberg.com acquired East Coast warehouses from Mapletree Investments for $575 million. World Bank bloomberg.com allocated $500 million to rehabilitate Kenya's commuter rail network in the capital.
Defense & Supply Chains
The US Defense Department bloomberg.com is seeking information to expand critical mineral stockpiles, focusing on five key materials. Iran war ft.com triggered aluminum supply crunches and shutdowns across the Middle East, threatening base metal pricing if outages continue. India bloomberg.com is seeking clarity from the US on proposed Strait of Hormuz insurance mechanisms for oil tankers.
Market Movers & Valuation
Sable Offshore investing.com stock jumped 12% following a DOJ legal opinion. NYSE owner Intercontinental Exchange bloomberg.com invested in crypto exchange OKX at a $25 billion valuation. Sierra Space bloomberg.com raised $550 million, boosting its valuation to $8 billion as it pursues defense contracting opportunities.