Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Impact
The S&P 500 finance.yahoo.com sank as Nvidia's earnings left investors wanting more, while US bank stocks ft.com recorded their biggest slide since April's market ructions. Short-term yields fell to levels last seen in 2022 as investors sought refuge from mounting global risks, with bonds capping February's rally bloomberg.com. Block's 40% headcount cut investing.com is seen as an AI-driven reset, while Apple is viewed as an 'anti-AI' safe haven investing.com. Online travel agencies investing.com may emerge as AI winners according to Morgan Stanley.
Oil & Energy
Israel shut down natural gas fields bloomberg.com as Iran attack unfolded, while oil markets face new risks bloomberg.com from President Trump's decision to strike Iran. OPEC+ eyes aggressive production hikes investing.com following the Israeli strike on Tehran. Iran would be outgunned in any war with the US yahoo.com but could still inflict considerable pain. The attacks create risks for a significant chunk of the world's oil supply, with energy flows potentially upended ft.com.
Geopolitics & Conflict
The US and Israel struck targets across Iran bloomberg.com, with President Trump urging Iranians to overthrow the government in a conflict that is already spiraling across the oil-rich Middle East. Iran TV showed Tehran destruction bloomberg.com after US-Israel attacks, while residents fled as Iran missiles stunned yahoo.com peaceful Gulf cities. UK's Starmer urged return to diplomatic process bloomberg.com for US, Iran, while China called for immediate ceasefire bloomberg.com. Former UN Ambassador Bolton expressed concerns bloomberg.com about regime change in Iran.
Corporate News
Berkshire's operating profit slid nearly 30% investing.com on insurance underwriting, while Greg Abel pledged to follow Buffett's framework ft.com. WPP overhauled structure and slashed dividend wsj.com in a turnaround plan. Eni beat fourth quarter profit expectations investing.com on strong production. IAG profit beat forecasts investing.com but shares fell 5% on capex surge plans. Cellnex topped Q4 forecasts investing.com and provided reassuring 2027 guidance.
Tech & AI
China may trim 2026 growth target investing.com while keeping policy supportive, according to Bof A. Europe lags US in AI investment investing.com but stands to gain on productivity, UBS says. China targets 'happy fat water' soft drinks ft.com for economic sugar fix. DeepSeek will release long-awaited AI model ft.com in a new challenge to US rivals. Anthropic cyber launch is not an existential risk investing.com to the sector, Bernstein says.
Crypto & Commodities
Crypto markets hedged Iran war risks finance.yahoo.com with 24/7 oil and gold trading. Bitcoin prices fell below $64,000 investing.com after US/Israel attack on Iran. Lithium bottom is in investing.com as global demand is set to jump 25% with EV market recovery. Geologists might have stumbled upon the largest gold mine in the world finance.yahoo.com.
Real Estate & REITs
Raymond James downgraded residential REITs investing.com due to demand slide. MS upgraded Block Inc investing.com on increasing TAM and AI-driven profit. UBS raised Palantir to Buy investing.com as shares became 'very attractive' after pullback. Citizens downgraded C3.ai investing.com after revenue miss deepens turnaround risks.
Financial Services
JPMorgan cut services for Citadel Securities ft.com in a clash over roles. BlackRock and Goldman Sachs joined race ft.com to fund Phoenix's pension business. Stablecoin demand surge could end 30-year Treasury auctions investing.com for 3 years. Financial Services Roundup wsj.com covered Barclays, Swiss Re and more.
Media & Entertainment
Netflix actually won even though it lost Warner wsj.com, preserving its business model. Trump Media is in talks to spin off Truth Social wsj.com into a new publicly traded company. Paramount's Skydance bid for Warner Bros. Discovery bloomberg.com will strain its credit rating. Business of Football summit tackled streaming rise ft.com and governance challenges.
International Markets
Japan's Nikkei 225 hit record high investing.com on cooling rate hike bets and tech gains. China's new era: 15th five-year plan set to drive global tech leadership investing.com. Deutscher Rüstungsboom bloomberg.com sees German military buildup boosting economy more than expected. Africa's critical minerals moment bloomberg.com examines intensifying global race for resources.
Tariffs & Trade
US farmers see new Trump tariffs as yet another round of instability bloomberg.com. How US businesses are shaving billions off their tariff bills wsj.com using a well-honed playbook. Clariant expects customers demanding tariff payback bloomberg.com after Supreme Court decision. Britain's great data centre balancing act ft.com addresses AI power demand challenges.
Miscellaneous
He's Reese's biggest advocate and Hershey's biggest headache wsj.com. The $1.6 trillion meltdown that swept through software stocks wsj.com as AI concerns hit Salesforce, Adobe. Once beloved restaurant chain will begin closing final locations finance.yahoo.com. Florida woman with no right hand ticketed for holding phone finance.yahoo.com.