Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
Energy & Commodities
Oil futures slipped 1.3% bloomberg.com in early Asian trade as OPEC+ signaled potential output increases, while gold held steady ft.com near $2,340/oz despite a weakening dollar. In fixed income, Japanese government bonds extended their rally bloomberg.com tracking overnight gains in U.S. Treasurys as traders priced in a September Fed rate cut.
Corporate Markets
A surge in aluminum prices bloomberg.com catapulted China Hongqiao's Zhang Bo to a $48 billion fortune, making him one of Asia's wealthiest industrialists. Meanwhile, Madison Air bloomberg.com filed for a Nasdaq IPO targeting a $500 million valuation, buoyed by three consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth in the private aviation charter market. Blackstone nytimes.com arranged a $1.2 billion credit facility for Air Trunk's expansion into Japanese data centers, part of a broader push by private equity into AI infrastructure assets across Asia-Pacific.
Public Markets Volatility
U.S. stocks rose at Friday's open bloomberg.com as tepid economic data boosted rate-cut hopes, with traders also digesting the latest Middle East headlines. The S&P 500 futures climbed 0.4% bloomberg.com as oil prices remained around $100 a barrel amid the ongoing regional conflict. Charles Schwab Corp. forecast 16% revenue growth bloomberg.com for Q1, citing continued retail investor engagement despite economic uncertainty and Middle East tensions.
Geopolitical Risk
The European Union is close to resolving bloomberg.com a unique obstacle to Montenegro's EU membership bid—the country's de-facto use of the euro. Meanwhile, India's forex reserves fell sharply bloomberg.com as the central bank intervened to support the rupee amid volatility from the Iran War. South Africa's mining exploration investment dropped bloomberg.com for a seventh consecutive year, even as the government seeks to reverse the decline.
Private Credit Concerns
Private credit markets are showing signs of distress bloomberg.com as valuations on balance sheets increasingly diverge from reality, raising concerns about potential financial instability. Cliffwater LLC's $33 billion flagship fund is facing 7%+ redemption requests bloomberg.com as investors reassess risk in the sector. The spike in oil prices and growing private credit concerns are causing market activity bloomberg.com to resemble the 2008 financial crisis lead-up, according to Bank of America's Michael Hartnett.
Tech & Innovation
China's BYD is challenging Porsche and BMW ft.com with new 5-minute "flash charging" technology that brings EV charging times close to traditional refueling. Mind Robotics, an AI-powered startup founded by Rivian's CEO, raised $500 million wsj.com to develop factory automation systems. Amazon won a legal battle bloomberg.com against Perplexity, securing the right to block AI bots from its site as the e-commerce giant prepares for intensified AI shopping wars.
Healthcare & Biotech
Hims & Hers Health Inc. shares are on pace for their best week bloomberg.com on record after announcing a new partnership with Novo Nordisk to expand into weight-loss drugs. Danish drugmaker Leo Pharma has invited investment banks bloomberg.com to pitch for roles in a potential IPO, as the more-than-a-century-old company explores going public. H. Lundbeck A/S will focus capital investments bloomberg.com on the U.S. and China rather than Europe, citing growing pressure to incentivize innovation in the region.
Emerging Markets
India is setting aside $6.2 billion bloomberg.com to help the economy weather adverse impacts from the global crisis, while separately considering export relief measures. Nigeria's central bank has prepared contingency measures bloomberg.com to stabilize the naira if it comes under pressure as investors dump riskier emerging-market assets due to Middle East tensions. Hungary's forint is the worst-performing emerging-market currency bloomberg.com during the Iran war, as energy price jumps amplify existing economic risks ahead of next month's elections.
Defense & Security
Serbia has purchased supersonic missiles bloomberg.com from China as part of $17 billion in defense upgrades, with President Vucic citing hostile intentions from nearby NATO countries. Ukraine's defense firms are experiencing increased demand bloomberg.com from Middle Eastern countries seeking military assistance, with phone lines "ringing off the hook" for potential partnerships. Exail Technologies SA shares have jumped in recent weeks nytimes.com as Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure highlighted the French defense contractor's mine-destroying drone capabilities.
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Investors who rushed to lend money to real estate developers in the United Arab Emirates are nursing losses bloomberg.com as the Iran war hammers their bonds and threatens to stall a borrowing binge. India's Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust saw its IPO oversubscribed four times bloomberg.com on the final day of bidding, signaling resilient demand for yield-focused assets amid market volatility. The UK government announced plans to overhaul nuclear regulation bloomberg.com to speed up projects after criticism that the sector is too risk-averse.
Agriculture & Commodities
Some Brazilian soybean shipments have failed sanitary inspections bloomberg.com raising concerns about potential disruptions to crucial trade with China. Ghana's cocoa regulator hasn't repaid more than $400 million in loans taken from traders over the past two years, raising risks bloomberg.com it won't have enough cash to buy beans next season. Raw sugar is headed for a fourth weekly gain bloomberg.com buoyed by a crude oil rally, with traders watching to see if Brazil will boost domestic gasoline prices, potentially increasing sugar cane availability for ethanol production.
Media & Entertainment
The black Fender Stratocaster played by David Gilmour on six Pink Floyd albums including "The Dark Side of the Moon" sold for a record $14.55 million nytimes.com at auction. Token2049, one of crypto's largest conferences globally, has postponed its Dubai event bloomberg.com as the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries face ongoing missile threats from the Iran conflict.
Legal & Regulatory
A London court blocked a bid bloomberg.com by the CEO of collapsed property lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd. to have his preferred officials oversee the insolvency of one of the group's entities. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority warned it will take action bloomberg.com on mis-selling of "second charge" mortgages after finding concerning practices. Hong Kong regulators are considering "name and shame" policies bloomberg.com for lawyers and auditors involved in sloppy IPO work as they grapple with an influx of Chinese companies seeking to raise funds in the city.
Financial Services
UBS Asset Management is betting the market has gotten too far ahead bloomberg.com positioning for interest-rate hikes by the Bank of England and European Central Bank, and is buying shorter-duration European debt. BNP Paribas is holding discussions with investors bloomberg.com about a potential significant risk transfer tied to about €2.5 billion of corporate loans as war reprices credit risk. Allianz SE and Sun Life Financial Inc. are considering bids bloomberg.com for HSBC Holdings' insurance unit in Singapore after the bank announced a strategic review of the business.