Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 4:30 PM ET
Energy & Commodities
Oil prices surged to $100 bloomberg.com for the second straight session as the Middle East conflict intensified, with Brent crude hitting levels not seen since 2022. The French energy giant TotalEnergies suspended operations wsj.com across Qatar, Iraq, and UAE offshore fields, representing roughly 15% of its global output. Meanwhile, Thailand's PTT made a rare purchase bloomberg.com of North Sea Forties crude from Trafigura as Asian refiners scramble for alternatives to Persian Gulf supplies. The conflict's impact on energy markets bloomberg.com is now approaching the severity of last year's tariff shock, with oil volatility jolting a $134 billion complex of quant trades.
Corporate & Financial Markets
US stocks rose on Friday bloomberg.com as tepid economic data boosted hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut, with traders parsing the latest Middle East headlines. BlackRock maintained its bullish stance bloomberg.com on US equities across its $220 billion model platform despite geopolitical turmoil. Charles Schwab forecast 16% revenue growth bloomberg.com for Q1, citing sustained retail investor engagement even amid war concerns. The war's economic ripple effects nytimes.com have kept the US stock market surprisingly resilient, with investors balancing oil disruption risks against strong corporate earnings and expectations that President Trump would end hostilities if they threaten markets.
Geopolitical & Macroeconomic Impact
The Middle East conflict has pushed oil prices to record highs bloomberg.com, creating the most severe supply shock since the 1973 embargo. Governments have stockpiled oil, but cars are more efficient and the supply shock is now global with no clear end in sight. Morgan Stanley warned of delayed Fed cuts bloomberg.com, suggesting the central bank may postpone its next rate reduction due to oil-price shocks. Meanwhile, dollar options show maximum bullishness bloomberg.com since 2022 as the war keeps energy prices elevated, while US retail investors show first signs of fatigue bloomberg.com amid inflation concerns and Middle East escalation.
Fixed Income & Currency Markets
US Treasuries advanced on Friday bloomberg.com as data bolstered the case for a Fed rate cut this year, with bond traders nearly pricing in one quarter-point cut. The dollar is on course for a fresh 2026 high bloomberg.com, with options markets reflecting maximum bullishness since 2022. State Street reported strongest dollar buying in nearly two years bloomberg.com as Middle East conflict drives demand for safe-haven assets. UBS Asset Management is positioning for fewer Bank of England hikes bloomberg.com, betting the market has gotten too far ahead of itself.
Regional Markets & Policy Responses
Brazil's government cut fuel taxes bloomberg.com to shield consumers from surging global oil prices while introducing a levy on crude exports to offset the fiscal impact. India's foreign exchange reserves fell by the most since November 2024 bloomberg.com as the central bank intervened to support the rupee amid Iran war volatility. Angola's central bank kept its benchmark rate at 17.5% bloomberg.com, pausing for the first time since August after oil prices surged due to US-Israel conflict with Iran. Philippine bonds are likely to face the biggest challenge in Asia bloomberg.com should Middle East conflict lead to sustained oil price increases.
Technology & Innovation
Elon Musk pushed out more xAI founders ft.com as the AI coding effort falters, drawing on his SpaceX playbook by taking over xAI ahead of potential IPO positioning. Oracle allocated an extra $500 million wsj.com to cover restructuring costs as powerful AI models allow the company to cut software jobs. Nvidia struck a $2 billion deal ft.com with AI cloud provider Nebius, continuing its dealmaking spree that deploys huge cash reserves into funding its own customers. Anthropic's Pentagon battle matters to every business wsj.com, as the designation of the AI company as a supply-chain risk puts all companies at the mercy of President Trump's political priorities.
Healthcare & Consumer
Hims & Hers Health shares are on pace for their best week on record bloomberg.com as a new partnership with Novo Nordisk fuels optimism about the company's future in weight-loss drugs. A new cholesterol testing guideline advises earlier screening nytimes.com, with eleven medical organizations saying changes to preventive cardiac care could markedly reduce heart attacks and strokes. Meanwhile, a third of Americans have cut spending or borrowed money nytimes.com for health care, with many skipping meals or driving less to pay for rising medical costs.
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Rio Tinto will slow construction of its Quebec lithium plant bloomberg.com just weeks after taking majority control of the Nemaska project, as costs surge. The European Commission is set to suspend duty-free sugar imports bloomberg.com for at least a year to help stabilize prices within the bloc. South Africa's mineral exploration investment dropped for a seventh consecutive year bloomberg.com, despite government ambitions to arrest the decline. In the UK, the government will weaken wildlife protection ft.com to speed up nuclear power projects following the Fingleton review.
Entertainment & Media
Universal will give movies longer exclusive theatrical runs nytimes.com, with theaters guaranteed a minimum of five weekends of exclusive play starting next year, increasing to seven weekends. 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. Meanwhile, K-pop fans crowded internet cafes in South Korea nytimes.com to secure BTS concert tickets, seeking solid connections and community during the rush.
Legal & Regulatory
A London court blocked the MFS CEO's pick bloomberg.com to oversee a unit of the failed lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd. The UK's Companies House suspended online filing ft.com after a glitch put personal data at risk, allowing potential fraudsters to change details and upload accounts. The EPA moved to weaken limits on ethylene oxide nytimes.com, a gas crucial for sterilizing medical devices but linked to several types of cancer with long-term exposure. Thomson Reuters employees in Minnesota want to stop ICE use nytimes.com of their investigative tool, reflecting growing concerns about corporate surveillance tools.
Sports & Leisure
The all-electric Rivian R2 SUV arrived at the worst possible moment for EVs wsj.com, with the startup seeking to buck an EV downturn with a $57,990 model offering up to 330 miles of range. Porsche is exploring new premium models ft.com to drive a turnaround after a 93% plunge in profits last year. Meanwhile, a women's soccer team backed by Peyton Manning sold private debt bloomberg.com, highlighting continued interest in sports-related investment vehicles.
Emerging Markets & Commodities
Ghana's cocoa regulator hasn't repaid more than $400 million bloomberg.com in loans from traders over the past two years, raising risks it won't have enough cash to buy beans next season. Mali is establishing a mining task force bloomberg.com with judicial powers to oversee gold mining and quarrying sites. China's BYD is taking on Porsche and BMW ft.com with 5-minute "flash charging" technology that makes EVs ready almost as quickly as filling a fuel tank. The illicit Iranian oil trade ft.com continues to provide vital income for Tehran while allowing China to stock up large reserves.
Initial Public Offerings & Capital Markets
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. has selected 20 bankers bloomberg.com for its long-awaited IPO. Danish drugmaker Leo Pharma is seeking bank pitches for IPO bloomberg.com as the more-than-a-century-old company edges toward going public. The European Union is close to overcoming a unique obstacle bloomberg.com to Montenegro's membership bid — the country's de-facto use of the euro. Meanwhile, Nasdaq is considering rules changes wsj.com for hot IPOs from companies like SpaceX and OpenAI, potentially giving them special treatment.
Private Credit & Alternative Assets
Blue Owl Capital defended its $1.4 billion loan sale bloomberg.com, arguing the transaction contained no backstops or hidden incentives as the asset manager faces scrutiny. Private credit has half the ingredients of a financial crisis ft.com, with worries arising that valuations shown on balance sheets don't match reality. Vivid Seats' debt sank further into distressed territory bloomberg.com after the ticket reseller reported earnings that missed estimates. Oaktree plans to buy a South Carolina insurer ft.com after the collapse of 777 Partners, continuing consolidation in the insurance sector.
Corporate Governance & Leadership
Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, behind a failed coup in Venezuela nytimes.com, is on the run after authorities found his ankle monitor hidden in furniture. The former Missouri police officer who took nude images from phones nytimes.com during traffic stops was sentenced to two years in prison and now faces civil lawsuits. Meanwhile, fifteen Democratic states sued nytimes.com over Trump's demand that colleges provide race data, challenging efforts to combat forced labor through global tariff schemes.