Public Markets 3 Hours

Last updated: May 15, 2026, 8:35 PM ET

Corporate Actions & IPOs Berkshire Hathaway sold $8 billion of Chevron shares in the first quarter as the oil giant's stock reached record highs, revealing Warren Buffett's reduced exposure to energy despite soaring crude prices. Meanwhile, Forbright Inc. filed for an IPO targeting middle-market lending and digital consumer banking, with documents showing growing deposits but no specific valuation range. Separately, Erock Inc., a modular power systems maker for data centers, filed for a US IPO with increasing revenue but widening losses, reflecting investor appetite for tech infrastructure plays despite profitability concerns in the crowded data center market.

Manufacturing & Defense Boeing shares slid after Trump's China summit deals disappointed investors, with Beijing only agreeing to expand agriculture and oil purchases rather than the broader aviation deals anticipated. However, Trump announced that China will purchase 200 planes, potentially offsetting some concerns about Boeing's competition with Airbus in the world's largest aviation market. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz CEO indicated the carmaker is willing to enter defense production as German manufacturing seeks to recast itself as a major player in the West's defense arsenal amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Geopolitical Market Impact A supreme court rejection of Virginia Democrats' effort to reinstate a new voting map could impact market sentiment around political stability ahead of midterm elections, while a push to indict Cuba's former president over 1996 killings and the US cutting off Cuba's oil supply have plunged the island into darkness and acute energy crisis. In the Middle East, an Israeli strike targeting a top Hamas leader and accusations against an Iran-backed commander of plotting US attacks heightened geopolitical tensions, potentially affecting oil markets and regional stability as investors monitor these developments for market implications.