Public Markets 8-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 6:31 PM ET
Geopolitical Impact on Markets
Rising tensions in the Middle East continue to rattle markets, with oil prices closing above $100 a barrel for the second straight session. Hedge funds turned most bullish on oil since 2020, anticipating further volatility. The conflict is disrupting global trade and supply chains, with the U.S. authorizing Venezuela to sell fertilizers as the war crimps global supplies. Total Energies is shutting down production in Qatar, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. has intensified strikes and rhetoric, while a new Trump envoy to Brazil stirs fears of meddling in upcoming elections. Latin American nations called for a ceasefire in a joint statement.
Energy Sector Dynamics
The conflict's impact is complex, as the oil price war rages, with Iran seeing higher crude prices as a key measure of success. Saudi Arabia's race to bypass the Strait of Hormuz has led to a buildup of supertankers off its Red Sea coast. Thai oil refiners made rare purchases of North Sea Forties crude. The U.S. move to seize oil tankers cost tens of millions of dollars. Governments are stockpiling oil, but the supply shock is global. The EPA moves to weaken limits on ethylene oxide.
Fixed Income & Credit Markets
The London Stock Exchange Group is looking to sell as much as $3 billion of high-grade U.S. corporate bonds next week. Market stress nears liberation day level as the war hits assets. Oaktree Capital Management's Danielle Poli suggests that the time to buy distressed debt isn’t here yet. With bond alternatives being pitched as traditional hedges disappoint, the market is seeing changes.
Equity Markets & Company News
Stocks suffered a third straight weekly loss as investors brace for a longer conflict. SpaceX investor Baillie Gifford hails the pre-IPO takeover of xAI. The Vivid Seats loan is in deeper distress. Starbucks Workers United proposes new contract terms. The UK petrol trade body is in dispute with ministers. Nvidia prepares AI 'inference' chip launch to counter rising challengers. Elon Musk pushes out more xAI founders.
Economic Indicators & Policy
A methodological change contributed to a better-than-expected inflation report. The U.S. government said the military veteran Jordan G. Goudreau had been missing for months. The U.S. sanctions pause adds a political win to Russia’s economic gain. The EU is set to suspend duty-free sugar imports, and Petrobras raises diesel prices in Brazil.
Financial Sector & Private Credit
India is set to halt the IDBI Bank sale, as the bids were too low. Private credit has half the ingredients of a financial crisis. Wall Street bankers offered lucrative access to join the Pentagon. Peyton Manning-backed women's soccer team sells private debt.
Legal & Regulatory
Judge quashes Justice Dept’s subpoenas targeting the Federal Reserve Chair. The U.K.’s official corporate register had a glitch that put personal data at risk. A tech company made a deepfake of a person's mind.
Other Notable News
The Trump administration readies plans to dismantle the NCAR research lab. Eleanor Abbott, the creator of Candy Land, invented the game to distract children during a polio outbreak. Bobby Douglas, pathbreaking Olympic wrestler, dies. John F. Burns, prize-winning foreign correspondent for The Times, dies. Lewis E. Lehrman, store chain heir also dies. After 17 Oscar nominations, Diane Warren is still chasing her first win. Eni sees a path to exporting Venezuelan gas. Earlier cholesterol testing can reduce heart attacks and strokes.