Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 11, 2026, 11:31 PM ET
Energy & Commodities
Oil futures surged past $100 bloomberg.com as Iranian attacks escalated fears of prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption, with Brent crude climbing 4.8% wsj.com on Tuesday. The International Energy Agency approved a 172 million barrel release bloomberg.com from strategic reserves, but prices extended gains bloomberg.com as rhetoric from Tehran outweighed the intervention bloomberg.com. Oman evacuated all vessels bloomberg.com from its Mina Al Fahal terminal as a precautionary measure, while Saudi Aramco ramped up East-West pipeline flows wsj.com to 7 million barrels per day, nearly tripling pre-conflict levels. The IEA warned EU inflation could surpass 3% bloomberg.com if Brent remains near $100, while India's rupee weakened to 94-95 per dollar bloomberg.com as oil prices threatened airline expansion plans bloomberg.com. In metals, gold slipped 0.7% bloomberg.com as Treasury yields climbed on inflation concerns, though Pimco's commodity fund plunged 17% bloomberg.com amid war-driven volatility.
Equities & Markets
Asian stocks looked set to open lower bloomberg.com Thursday, extending a week of volatile trading after the coordinated reserve release failed to stem oil's rally bloomberg.com. Japan's Nikkei rebounded 2.1% wsj.com as oil prices retreated and Trump's comments allayed prolonged conflict fears bloomberg.com. South Korean options appeared cheap amid wild swings bloomberg.com as the KOSPI fluctuated 4.8% daily nytimes.com. European shares dropped 1.2% bloomberg.com on lingering Iran war concerns, with Rheinmetall plunging 8.5% bloomberg.com after earlier gains. The cost of credit protection fell most since June bloomberg.com in Asia after Trump signaled the conflict may be nearing an end. Hedge funds experienced their worst drawdown since April bloomberg.com as crowded trades unwound, while Morgan Stanley capped redemptions bloomberg.com on a private credit fund after investor demands surged. In IPO news, Madison Air filed for a $500 million offering bloomberg.com after three quarters of double-digit revenue growth, and Quest Global began discussions bloomberg.com for a potential $1 billion Mumbai listing.
Fixed Income & Credit
Treasury yields rose 12 basis points nytimes.com as oil's advance sparked inflation worries bloomberg.com, prompting bond traders to shift to betting against Treasuries bloomberg.com. The cost of credit protection fell most since June bloomberg.com in Asia after Trump signaled the conflict may be nearing an end. JPMorgan marked down loan portfolios ft.com of private credit groups, with collateral devaluation limiting credit to higher-risk firms ft.com. Cliffwater capped payouts ft.com on its credit fund as redemption requests surged, while Ares Management convened a town hall bloomberg.com to reassure staff about market volatility. In municipal markets, New York City's credit outlook was downgraded to negative bloomberg.com by Moody's citing "sizable and persistent" budget gaps. Nearly 500 UK mortgage deals were withdrawn ft.com in two days as the average two-year fix climbed back above 5% ft.com.
Technology & AI
Atlassian cut 10% of its workforce ft.com to adapt to AI threats, becoming the latest tech company to axe roles amid automation pressures ft.com. Oracle set aside an additional $500 million ft.com for restructuring costs as it hailed efficiencies from AI coding tools ft.com. Nvidia and ABB launched a partnership ft.com for AI-enabled autonomous robots, with industrial bots being trialed by Foxconn ft.com. In quantum computing, Xanadu received C$390 million bloomberg.com in government aid to build engineering and manufacturing capabilities. The race for humanoid robots intensified ft.com as a network of training farms aimed to supply data for machine "brains" ft.com. Meanwhile, Amazon won a ruling nytimes.com keeping AI bots off its site, though retailers prepared for a new shopping normal wsj.com.
Private Markets & M&A
Blackstone arranged a $1.2 billion credit facility bloomberg.com for Air Trunk's expansion into Japanese data centers, part of a broader push by private equity into AI infrastructure assets across Asia-Pacific. Sealed Air's $7.15 billion buyout debt bloomberg.com may launch next week to finance Clayton Dubilier & Rice's acquisition. CVC Capital Partners shares slipped wsj.com as performance-related earnings guidance disappointed, overshadowing better-than-expected 2025 results with a 67% increase in realizations wsj.com. In distressed assets, Atlanta-based Multi-Color Corp. opened accounts bloomberg.com at New Jersey's Connect One Bank in a curious maneuver bloomberg.com that creditors are scrutinizing. Chubb partnered with the US International Development Finance Corp. bloomberg.com on a $20 billion reinsurance backstop aimed at reviving Hormuz shipping.
Geopolitics & Trade
The Trump administration launched sweeping trade investigations bloomberg.com into China and the EU, setting the stage for new tariffs as the centerpiece of a push to replace levies struck down by the US. Venezuela appointed a new hydrocarbons minister bloomberg.com as the US guides the country's oil recovery bloomberg.com under a new energy law. Colombia is taking steps bloomberg.com that could allow it to begin importing natural gas from Venezuela, while Bolivia pledged to meet dollar bond payments bloomberg.com this month as it looks to swap notes into local currency debt. Reliance Industries reset its relationship with Trump bloomberg.com in one move, pledging an oil refinery investment. Peru's presidential race remains wide open bloomberg.com with none of more than 30 candidates having strong support ahead of next month's vote.
Corporate & Industry News
Petco expects 2026 sales to be flat to up 1.5% wsj.com as it moves into the next phase of its turnaround plan, a reversal from last year's 2.5% revenue decline. UiPath guided for slower full-year revenue growth wsj.com despite top- and bottom-line gains in the fiscal fourth quarter. Lindt shares sank 7.8% wsj.com after the chocolatier cut guidance and said the Middle East war would likely hit tourism sales. Costco faces a potential class-action lawsuit wsj.com seeking to force the retailer to pass along any tariff refund to customers. Target's DEI boycott appears to be winding down wsj.com as activists say the retailer has acknowledged a breakdown in trust with the Black community. Darktrace named its third CEO in 18 months ft.com amid a US expansion drive, while UK-based cyber security group hired Ed Jennings ft.com as private equity owners push for faster growth.
Financial Services
UBS increased its bonus pool 10% bloomberg.com as the Credit Suisse integration nears completion, while keeping CEO Sergio Ermotti's compensation unchanged at $19 million. Allianz and Sun Life are considering bids bloomberg.com for HSBC's insurance unit in Singapore after the bank announced a strategic review. Hedge funds ramped up bullish bets on the Australian dollar in options markets before next week's central bank decision. Australia's pension funds boosted currency hedges bloomberg.com to cushion global stock portfolios amid the local dollar's biggest annual surge in five years. Blackstone readied a £250 million Canary Wharf office sale ft.com, marking the latest sign of growing confidence in east London's financial district.
Legal & Regulatory
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to end protections nytimes.com for Haitian immigrants and has also sought to end deportation protections for other groups including Syrians. 17 Democratic states sued over Trump's demand nytimes.com that colleges provide race data for admissions. The DC Bar began disciplinary proceedings nytimes.com against Ed Martin, accusing the senior Justice Department official of an unethical pressure campaign against Georgetown University. A former Missouri police officer was sentenced to two years nytimes.com in prison for taking nude images from phones during traffic stops and now faces civil lawsuits from 20 identified victims. Two people died after paid plasma donation nytimes.com at clinics in Canada operated by Spanish healthcare company Grifols.
Regional Markets
Philippine firms braced for rising costs bloomberg.com as oil's spike above $100 a barrel dragged the peso to a record low, heightening risks for an economy heavily reliant on fuel imports. Indonesian nickel plants halted output bloomberg.com after a deadly landslide at a waste area used by one facility. Ghana banned land imports of pasta bloomberg.com to prevent smuggling days after inaugurating its first domestic processing plant. Kenya's capital was worst affected bloomberg.com as floods killed at least 37 people after heavy rains across several parts of the country. Japan's dependence on overseas energy supplies bloomberg.com has shaped its policy for more than half a century since the 1973 oil shock, though questions remain whether decades of preparation are sufficient for the current crisis.