Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Volatility
The S&P 500 ft.com suffered its worst one-day drop as the Iran conflict rocked Asian markets. South Korean stocks took the hardest hit, with the Kospi plunging 12% amid regional oil dependency concerns. Futures turned higher investing.com as the Iran conflict entered its fifth day, with investors weighing potential diplomatic resolutions against ongoing military tensions.
Energy & Commodities
Middle East oil prices bloomberg.com soared after Platts excluded Gulf loadings from key trading benchmarks. The Dubai benchmark surged to eye-watering levels as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faced disruption. Goldman Sachs investing.com lifted its oil price forecast amid Hormuz disruptions and lower inventories, while Brent crude bloomberg.com traded at its biggest premium to the Middle Eastern Dubai marker since 2022. Energy stocks bloomberg.com showed early signs of rallying, drawing parallels to the Ukraine conflict's impact on oil markets.
Fixed Income & Currencies
Bond traders bloomberg.com curbed rate cut bets as the Iran war stoked inflation worries. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 4% wsj.com as investors priced in prolonged conflict risks. The dollar bloomberg.com slid the most in a month after reports of secret Iranian outreach, while India's rupee bloomberg.com hit a record low as oil prices threatened to worsen the current account deficit. Swiss inflation wsj.com held steady near zero as franc concerns swirled, with the SNB repeating intervention threats.
Corporate & Deal Activity
Blackstone bloomberg.com defended its credit portfolio marks as shares slumped following record redemptions from its flagship private credit fund. Blackstone's BREIT bloomberg.com recorded net inflows for the first time since 2022, signaling rebounding sentiment in the real estate sector. Blackstone's Gray called market concerns about the credit portfolio "a ton of noise" as the firm's shares fell to their lowest level in over a year.
Technology & AI
Nvidia wsj.com swore off an earnings crutch, putting pressure on other tech companies to follow suit in reporting stock-based compensation. Anthropic's Claude finance.yahoo.com became the most popular free app on iPhone and Android amid fallout from the Trump administration's AI policies. AI may be creating finance.yahoo.com instead of destroying jobs for now, according to an ECB blog, as companies take on massive debt to fund LLM and data-center build-outs.
Regional Markets
European stocks investing.com added to gains on hopes the Middle East conflict would end, while UK services investing.com expanded for the tenth straight month in February. Indonesia's rating outlook bloomberg.com suffered a fresh blow from Fitch amid rising policy uncertainty. Thailand's stock gauge bloomberg.com tumbled the most in six years as escalating tensions dampened sentiment.
Defense & Aerospace
Morgan Stanley bloomberg.com sees huge flows into defense as funds drop sustainable investing limits amid geopolitical tensions. Dassault Aviation investing.com edged higher after 2025 sales beat expectations and maintained a positive outlook. Goldman Sachs investing.com downgraded Dassault stock rating on growth concerns, while JPMorgan investing.com downgraded Thales stock rating on cybersecurity weaknesses.
Supply Chain Disruptions
Pakistan bloomberg.com cut gas supplies to some industrial customers as war upended regional energy supplies. Myanmar's military government bloomberg.com imposed limits on private vehicle use starting Saturday to conserve fuel amid Middle East shipping disruptions. Singapore bloomberg.com faces higher power bills as Qatar's LNG shutdown threatens prolonged supply constraints.
Emerging Markets
Ghana's inflation bloomberg.com fell to a near three-decade low in February, bolstering expectations for a fifth straight rate cut despite Middle East conflict risks. Czech inflation bloomberg.com unexpectedly slowed further in February but the Iran war may limit the central bank's room for resuming interest rate cuts. Kenya's first IPO bloomberg.com in 11 years scraped through with Uganda's help, exceeding its target by 5.7%.
Market Sentiment
Asian investors bloomberg.com are repositioning portfolios, with JPMorgan's Craig noting the moves are driven by rotation within portfolios rather than broader market exits. Equities are vulnerable investing.com to correction but not bear market, according to Goldman Sachs. US oil stocks bloomberg.com halted gains as investors priced in a possible quick resolution to the Iran war.
Corporate Earnings & Guidance
Continental AG investing.com raised its dividend despite warning that Middle East conflict may hit profit. Adidas investing.com stock tumbled as operating profit guidance fell short of expectations, with US tariffs and currency headwinds expected to hold back profit growth. Bayer investing.com shares dropped as its 2026 profit outlook missed expectations despite a Q4 beat.
Infrastructure & Real Estate
Vistry Group bloomberg.com shares plunged 25% on sluggish profit outlook and CEO retirement news. Aroundtown investing.com cut its 2026 outlook as debt costs bit, sending shares down 3%. Cofinimmo investing.com shares dipped as Aedifica secured 80% stake via exchange offer.
Regulatory & Policy
Kraken wsj.com became the first crypto firm to win access to the Fed's core payments system, marking a significant step toward mainstream financial integration. The European Investment Bank bloomberg.com made its biggest defense pledge with Germany's Join Capital, backing venture capital aimed at investing in defense companies.
Market Technicals
European bonds bloomberg.com halted their selloff as traders followed energy price swings, weighing volatility against prospects for Middle East conflict talks. Shipping stocks investing.com jumped 4% as Iran disruptions forced lines out of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the sector's sensitivity to geopolitical tensions.