Public Markets 3d Briefing – Mar 11, 2026

809 articles summarized · Last updated: March 11, 2026 at 10:30 PM ET v411

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Energy & Commodities

Oilfutures dropped 1.3% bloomberg.com in early Asian trade after OPEC+ signaled potential output increases, while gold held near $2,340 bloomberg.com as a weakening dollar offset risk-on sentiment. A surge in aluminum prices wsj.com pushed China Hongqiao's Zhang Bo past the $48 billion mark, cementing his position among Asia's wealthiest industrialists. Meanwhile, Asian currencies weakened slightly wsj.com against the dollar in early trade amid rising oil prices, and two oil tankers were attacked bloomberg.com in Iraqi waters, prompting terminal suspensions.

Japanese government bonds extended gains bloomberg.com tracking overnight Treasury rallies as traders increasingly price in a September Fed rate cut. Conversely, U.S. airline bonds weakened bloomberg.com after jet fuel costs spiked 8% on Middle East supply fears, and Chicago's planned muni bond sale wsj.com is testing investor appetite amid geopolitical uncertainty. The IEA’s oil reserve release plan wsj.com fell short of filling supply losses from the Persian Gulf, as noted by ING.

Morgan Stanley capped redemptions from one of its private credit funds, returning less than half of the capital sought by investors after a wave of demands bloomberg.com. This followed a broader trend where private credit firms faced redemption pressure bloomberg.com, with Ares Management convening a town hall to reassure employees amid volatility. The sector saw a surge in aluminum prices wsj.com that also impacted corporate valuations, like Zhang Bo's $48 billion fortune.

The escalating Hormuz crisis wsj.com dimmed hopes for a quick trade revival without U.S. naval escorts, while Iran's attacks bloomberg.com spurred a coordinated oil reserve release by the U.S. and allies. This intervention, totaling 172 million barrels as part of a global effort bloomberg.com, aimed to ease prices but was overshadowed by Iran rhetoric bloomberg.com. The Pentagon barred photographers nytimes.com from Iran war briefings, reflecting heightened secrecy.

Atlassian cut 10% of its workforce ft.com to adapt to AI threats, joining a trend of tech layoffs. Meanwhile, Madison Air filed for a Nasdaq IPO ft.com targeting a $500M valuation, buoyed by double-digit revenue growth. Oracle prepared for layoffs ft.com as it hailed AI coding efficiencies, setting aside $500 million for restructuring costs. Private equity firm Blackstone arranged a $1.2 billion credit facility bloomberg.com for Air Trunk's expansion into Japanese data centers.

The yen nudged near a year's low bloomberg.com as strategists saw higher intervention thresholds, while gold fell wsj.com after oil's surge lifted inflation expectations and Treasury yields. This contrasted with Asian currencies weakening wsj.com against the dollar, and South Korean options looking cheap bloomberg.com amid market turbulence. The euro-zone's inflation outlook worsened bloomberg.com due to the Iran war.

Hedge funds loaded up on Aussie call options bloomberg.com ahead of the RBA decision, while JPMorgan noted hedge funds' worst drawdown bloomberg.com since April. The SPAC market saw SpaceX's gravitational pull ft.com as investors chased AI-linked deals, though some funds didn't own actual shares. The U.S. launched a trade probe bloomberg.com into China and the EU, reviving Trump-era tariffs.

Peru's presidential race remained wide open with only 11% support bloomberg.com for the frontrunner. Colombia moved to import Venezuelan gas as part of a swap plan bloomberg.com. South Africa's bonds plunged bloomberg.com amid oil-driven inflation fears, while California's drought worsened wsj.com water scarcity concerns. The U.S. spent an estimated $4 billion bloomberg.com on initial Iran strikes, using 400 cruise missiles and 800 air defense interceptors.