Public Markets 8-Hour Briefing
×Market Turmoil
US stocks dropped sharply as oil surged above $90 a barrel for the first time since the Iran war began. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell about 1% while the Dow dropped 1.2%, marking the worst week since June. Treasury yields spiked as surging oil prices fueled inflation concerns, overshadowing a surprisingly weak US jobs report showing a 92,000 decline in payrolls. The dollar rallied to its best week since 2024, climbing as the ultimate safe haven amid Middle East conflict and skyrocketing energy prices.
Energy Crisis
Crude prices surged in Europe as Asian buying tightened the global market, while Kuwait cut oil output as storage filled up. Qatar loaded its first LNG cargo since declaring force majeure, signaling potential easing of supply disruptions. However, US aluminum buyers hunted for alternatives as the Iran war upended global supply chains. The International Energy Agency said no need yet to tap oil stockpiles, citing plentiful global supplies despite temporary impacts from the conflict.
Credit Market Stress
Credit investors unwound massive bullish positions, jumping into hedging trades worth tens of billions of dollars. BlackRock limited redemptions at its flagship HPS Corporate Lending Fund after withdrawal requests surged to 9.3% of net asset value, while rival Blackstone took the opposite stance. Goldman Sachs called insurer bond moves "overdone" as yield premiums on US investment-grade bonds triggered by private credit exposure concerns. Direct lenders took control of nearly 150 European companies after they could no longer afford debt payments.
Regional Impacts
Colombia's local debt rallied on oil surge, converting from worst performer to leading gainer in emerging markets. Israel's currency and stock market surged even as war raged, while Gulf markets faced turmoil. Germany's solar boom eased power costs as gas prices jumped, helping cap electricity prices despite global energy price increases. Vietnam's richest man named his wife chair of EV taxi firm in a major corporate shakeup.
Policy & Politics
President Trump demanded "unconditional surrender" from Iran, rejecting negotiated end to conflict as US and Israeli airstrikes continued. The White House called the February jobs report an "outlier", blaming bad weather for the 92,000 decline. Fed officials offered conflicting views, with some seeing rate cuts by year-end while others worried about war-related inflation. Switzerland vowed to continue US trade talks after Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs.
Corporate Developments
Robinhood launched a private markets fund giving everyday investors access to companies like Databricks and Oura. Servier agreed to buy Day One for $2.5 billion, expanding its oncology portfolio with a 68% premium. Blue Owl revealed £36 million exposure to collapsed UK lender Century Capital Partners. Western Alliance sued Jefferies after $126.4 million in forbearance payments went unpaid. Barclays upgraded several stocks amid sector rotations driven by energy and AI themes.
Market Structure
The New York Stock Exchange paid $9 million to settle SEC allegations about a 2023 market outage that caused wild price swings. A massive aluminum options bet came into the money as war-driven price rallies delivered windfall profits. A modest SpaceX investment overwhelmed niche ETFs, testing the capacity of funds to hold unlisted assets. Prediction markets showed limits for Wall Street as Polymarket bets on Iran war highlighted regulatory and practical constraints.