Oil Futures Face New Pressure as the US and Iran Trade Threats to Strike Key Infrastructure
Oil futures surged on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran of bombing its power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz reopened within 48 hours. Brent crude rose 1.27% to about $113.5 a barrel and WTI to $99, pushing U.S. gasoline prices toward $4 per gallon. Iran retaliated with threats to strike U.S. and Israeli infrastructure, heightening supply‑risk concerns. Meanwhile, gold fell sharply, erasing its 2026 gains as investors fled the safe‑haven metal.
Fannie, Freddie Place Large Bids for Mortgage-Backed Securities
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have begun placing large orders for mortgage‑backed securities, acting on President Trump’s directive to acquire $200 billion of MBS to help lower mortgage rates. Their retained‑portfolio balances have rebounded to $278 billion, up from $158 billion at the...
Sunbelt Housing Markets Are so Weak that This $22B Homebuilder Is Offering Its Biggest Incentives Since 2010
Lennar, the U.S. homebuilder with a $22 billion market cap, is spending an average of 14% of a home’s final sales price on buyer incentives in Q1 2026 – the highest level since 2010. A $450,000 house now carries roughly $63,000 in...
Nikkei 225 and TOPIX: Already Bottomed or Further Downside Ahead?
Bank of America sees the recent Nikkei 225 and TOPIX sell‑off as potentially marking a short‑term floor, but the market’s trajectory remains tied to geopolitical developments, especially the Middle East conflict and energy price stability. The decline was intensified by...
As Global Yuan Use Expands, Questions Resurface About China’s World-Leading Forex Reserves
A Renmin University report urges China to trim its $3.42 trillion foreign‑exchange reserves, which sit at roughly 16% of GDP, to a more moderate level of about 11.5% of GDP as the yuan gains global traction. The paper argues that a...
International Business Briefs | Economist Shin Hyun-Song Tapped to Lead Bank of Korea Amid Inflation Risks
South Korea named economist Shin Hyun‑song, famed for foreseeing the 2008 crisis, as the next Bank of Korea governor as the nation confronts inflation risks from the Iran war and uneven Asian growth. In the United States, a federal jury held...
Vietnam PM Visits Russia to Sign Energy Deal Amid Iran War Disruption
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh travelled to Moscow to sign a suite of energy agreements, including oil‑and‑gas cooperation and a nuclear power plant partnership, as Hanoi seeks to bolster fuel reserves. The deal covers trade, investment, exploration, extraction and...
What’s Happening in EM: Oil Spikes Upend Local Bonds (Podcast)
Bloomberg’s Emerging Markets podcast notes that soaring oil prices have forced a revision of global interest‑rate expectations, unsettling the once‑popular strategy of investing in emerging‑market local‑currency bonds. The energy price shock is prompting investors to unwind positions as higher rates...
Pershing Square IPO: Should You Buy the PSUS IPO?
Bill Ackman has filed for a combined IPO of Pershing Square USA (ticker PSUS) and his hedge‑fund firm Pershing Square (ticker PS) as the 2026 IPO market remains weak. The closed‑end fund will list on the NYSE at $50 per...
THW: A Global Healthcare Fund With 11% Yield But Overpays The Distribution
The Abrdn World Healthcare Fund (THW) offers an 11.3% distribution yield, split roughly 50:50 between U.S. and European healthcare stocks. Over the past five years, about 60% of that yield has come from return of capital, raising questions about payout...
South vs West: African Banking Majors Scramble for East African Market
African banking giants from Nigeria and South Africa are accelerating acquisitions and greenfield launches in East Africa, drawn by Kenya’s role as a regional financial hub and the trade‑finance potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Central Bank...
Copper Cools After Record January—But This ETF Is a Buy-the-Dip Opportunity
Copper prices surged to an all‑time high in January before correcting, prompting analysts to view the metal as a 2026 commodities star. The Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX) fell about 20% from its peak but has recovered roughly 3% since...
Echoes Of 2022: Bear Bounces As ETF Signal Portfolio Leads S&P 500 By Over 23%
The Monthly ETF Signal Portfolio is outperforming the S&P 500 by more than 23% year‑to‑date, driven by sector‑momentum and market‑timing models. Energy‑focused bull ETFs such as ERX and XLE have generated the strongest returns, echoing 2022 patterns for different reasons. Financial...
FFC: Can Capitalize From Efficiency Of Banking In The Future, But Not Yet
Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund (FFC) remains on hold as its high leverage and a challenging interest‑rate environment constrain growth prospects. The fund trades at a 10.06% discount to NAV, well above its five‑year average, reflecting persistent headwinds...
Lindenwold Advisors INC Has $7.90 Million Stock Holdings in Apple Inc. $AAPL
Lindenwold Advisors Inc trimmed its Apple position by 20.4% in Q3, selling 7,935 shares and ending the quarter with 31,023 shares worth roughly $7.9 million, representing about 3.7% of its portfolio and ranking as its fifth‑largest holding. While Lindenwold reduced exposure,...
Hudson Bay Capital Management LP Sells 172,767 Shares of Vanguard S&P 500 ETF $VOO
Hudson Bay Capital Management LP dramatically reduced its position in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), selling 172,767 shares in Q3. The sale represents a 95.8% cut, leaving the firm with just 7,500 shares worth about $4.6 million. Meanwhile, several other...
South Florida Million-Dollar Home Sales Surge to an All-Time High, and This Celeb-Studded County Leads the Way
South Florida’s luxury market is booming, with 2,040 million‑dollar home sales YTD—a record high not seen since 2008. February saw an 18.8% overall rise, driven by 17.8% growth in single‑family homes and 21.6% in condos and townhomes. Palm Beach County...
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Warren Buffett Reveals What He Calls 'The Best Investment by Far' And Why It's Surprisingly Simple
Warren Buffett says the single best investment is self‑development, because skills cannot be taxed or eroded by inflation. He adds that the next‑best hedge is owning stock in asset‑light businesses that can raise prices faster than costs. Companies with royalty‑like...
FX Week in Review: Swissquote Record Results, cBridge Launch, Admirals Restructures, Arsenal CFDs Sponsor, IG Leaving UK?
Swissquote reported record H2‑2025 results, with revenues of CHF 365.2 million ($461 million) and net profit of CHF 208.2 million ($263 million), up 2 % and 32 % respectively. Admirals Group disclosed a €18.5 million loss for 2025 and will relinquish its Estonia investment‑firm licence as part of a...
Retirement Is an Endless Game (and That's Actually the Good News)
James Clear’s observation that life’s core activities are endless reframes retirement from a final destination to an ongoing game. The article argues that retirees often experience boredom and anxiety because they treat retirement as a finish line rather than a...
A Market Crash Isn't Your Greatest Retirement Risk: The Real Threat Lies Closer to Home
Many retirees fear market crashes, but the biggest threat is uncertainty about income, taxes, and health costs. The article argues that unclear cash flow, tax exposure, and lack of a coordinated strategy can erode portfolios faster than market dips. It...
Bank of England Expected to Keep Rates Steady Into Next Year
The Bank of England is expected to keep its policy rate unchanged through next year, as inflation pressures persist. Oxford Economics attributes the heightened risk to rising energy prices driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The central bank’s...
4 Smart Ways to Use Your Tax Return for Financial Planning
The article urges taxpayers to treat their tax return as a yearly financial‑planning audit, focusing on four key areas: deduction strategy, Roth conversions, retirement rollovers, and withholding outcomes. It outlines the 2025 and 2026 standard deduction amounts, new senior deductions,...
Trash to Treasure: 3 Waste Removal Stocks to Minimize Volatility
The waste‑removal sector offers defensive, inelastic demand backed by heavy regulation and high entry barriers, making its leading firms attractive during market volatility. Waste Management (WM) leads with a $94 billion market cap, strong free‑cash‑flow generation and a 30% growth outlook...
Sinopec Posts 36.8% Drop in 2025 Net Profit on Weak Petrochemical Margins, New Energy Substitution
Sinopec reported a 36.8% plunge in 2025 net profit to 31.8 billion yuan, driven by weaker petrochemical margins and accelerating substitution by new‑energy sources. Refinery throughput slipped 0.8% to 250.33 million tonnes, while petrol and diesel output fell 2.4% and 9.1% respectively....
Korea Names BIS Veteran, Financial Stability Expert as BOK Head
South Korea announced Shin Hyun Song, a veteran BIS official and financial‑stability scholar, as its next Bank of Korea governor. The nomination comes as the BOK faces heightened uncertainty from the Iran conflict, rising oil prices and a delicate balance...
Market Trading Guide: Buy Aether Industries and Centum Electronics on Monday for Short Term Gains up to 9%. Here’s Why
The Economic Times' market guide recommends buying Aether Industries and Centum Electronics on Monday, targeting short‑term gains of roughly 8‑9%. Both stocks have formed bullish weekly breakouts after prolonged consolidation, with price action above key support levels and confirming momentum...
Microsoft: Don't Jump To Conclusions From The Recent Share Price Rout
Microsoft’s shares have slumped more than 10% since the Q2 2026 earnings beat, prompting a wave of discount‑seeking investors. Despite the price rout, Azure’s revenue continues to expand at over 30% year‑over‑year, underscoring the cloud business’s resilience. Analysts, however, warn that...
Can SoFi Shares Thrive Through Maturity?
SoFi Technologies has evolved from a student‑loan refi platform into a full‑stack digital‑banking supermarket, now offering checking, savings, loans, mortgages, credit cards, trading and a proprietary stablecoin. The company posted $3.61 billion in 2025 revenue, a 35% YoY increase, with deposits...
FemTech IPO Outlook: Investors & Trends
FemTech is transitioning from a niche venture segment to a mainstream health‑tech investment theme, with the market valued at $9.12 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $10.67 billion in 2026. A surge in late‑stage mega‑deals—42 % of 2025 funding—has concentrated capital in...
Michelin: Why The Downside Isn't Fully Priced In Yet
Michelin is confronting a challenging macro environment, with 2025 sales projected to dip 4.4% to €26 billion and operating earnings expected to fall nearly 20%. Rising raw‑material, manufacturing and logistics costs are squeezing margins, which are forecast to contract from 12.4%...
Malaysian Construction Firm IJM’s Leaders Urge Rejection of $2.8B Takeover Bid From Billionaire Jeffrey Cheah’s Sunway
Malaysian construction giant IJM Corp. has urged shareholders to reject Sunway Group’s MYR 11 billion ($2.8 billion) takeover proposal. An independent adviser valued IJM shares at a 46‑51% premium, deeming Sunway’s MYR 3.15 per share offer substantially undervalued. IJM’s board highlighted the...
Unity: High SBC And A Looming AI Threat, Sell
Unity Software (U) faces mounting pressure from open‑source AI‑enhanced game engines such as Godot, threatening its dominance in the real‑time 3D market. The company’s financials remain weak, with revenue growth stalled around 2% YoY, a net‑income margin of –21.78%, and...
Bunge Was A Solid Bet - Looking At 2026E
Bunge (BG) maintains an A rating but is now on a HOLD stance, with a $98 price target versus a $130 fair‑value estimate. The analyst cites compressed soybean margins, elevated operating costs, and heightened regulatory and geopolitical risks as headwinds....
Will The Middle East Crisis Upend The Bull Market In Stocks?
Equity markets are underestimating the risk of a major energy shock from a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which could choke global oil and LNG supplies. While U.S. economic growth remains solid, driven by fiscal stimulus and a manufacturing...
Most Hospitality and Lodging S-Reits Post Higher H2 Revenue, Payouts
Singapore hospitality and lodging S‑Reits delivered solid H2 performance, with four of the five trusts reporting higher revenue and stable or increased distributions. CapitaLand Ascott Trust saw a 4% revenue rise to S$439.1 million and a modest DPS uplift, while Far...
Insider and Institutional Positioning for the Week
During the week of March 13‑19, institutional investors were net buyers of Singapore equities, injecting S$365 million and bringing the first‑quarter cumulative net inflow to S$60 million. The same period saw 21 listed companies execute share buybacks totaling S$86 million, while directors and CEOs...
Europe’s Trade with Iran: Which Countries Do the Most Business with Tehran?
EU‑Iran trade collapsed to €3.72 billion in 2025, the lowest level in two decades, as renewed sanctions tightened economic ties. Germany remains the dominant EU partner, accounting for 31.8% of the remaining trade, followed by Italy and the Netherlands, together representing...
Iran War a Setback for Super Returns as Investors Brace for Fallout
The escalation of the US‑Israel conflict with Iran has pushed global equity markets down more than 5%, dragging Australian superannuation returns lower. Median growth‑option super funds fell about 3% in March, leaving the financial‑year return at roughly 3.3%, while balanced...
UTI AMC CEO Says Safety Margin in Smallcaps Limited, Backs Financials and Manufacturing
UTI Asset Management Company MD & CEO Vetri Subramaniam warned that small‑cap stocks have a limited safety margin, urging caution despite recent market corrections. He outlined a five‑year plan to accelerate AUM growth through cost discipline, digital upgrades such as...
Mcap of Five of Top-10 Most Valued Firms Erodes by Rs 1 Lakh Cr; HDFC Bank Biggest Laggard
The combined market capitalisation of five of India’s top‑10 most‑valued firms fell by roughly ₹1 lakh crore last week, with HDFC Bank leading the decline by losing over ₹56 000 crore. Other laggards included ICICI Bank, TCS, Bajaj Finance and Hindustan Unilever. In contrast,...
S&P 500 Snapshot: Index Falls To 6-Month Low
The S&P 500 closed the week at a six‑month low, slipping 1.9% for a fourth consecutive week in the red. The index is now 6.77% below its all‑time high set on Jan 27 2026. Technical analysis shows SPX trading beneath both its 50‑day...
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Understanding the Price-to-Sales (P/S) Ratio in Stock Valuation
The price‑to‑sales (P/S) ratio measures a company’s market capitalization relative to its annual revenue, offering a valuation lens when earnings are absent or volatile. It is calculated by dividing market cap by the past‑12‑month sales, making it especially useful for...
Coal Imports Likely to Remain Subdued in Near Term
India’s coal imports slipped 4.2% to 213.1 million tonnes in the April‑January window, with non‑coking imports falling to 127.8 MT while coking imports rose modestly to 50.4 MT. The decline reflects a deliberate push toward self‑reliance as domestic output expands. Seaborne coal prices...
As Iran War Disrupts the Gulf, India's Growth Story Faces New Risks
India’s rapid economic rise is now threatened by the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, which jeopardizes the Gulf’s oil and gas supplies that account for 40 % of its oil and 80 % of its gas imports. Disruptions to export routes and a...
SCHD: Your Complete Guide To The March 2026 Index Reconstitution
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) underwent its March 2026 index reconstitution, removing 22 stocks and adding 25. The changes cut the fund’s Energy sector exposure by roughly 8% while boosting Health Care (+4%) and Technology (+3%). Core fundamentals shifted modestly, with...
Can the Philippines Grow Its Way to Coffee Self-Sufficiency?
The Philippines imports roughly 60% of its coffee, leaving the market vulnerable to global price swings. Nestlé Philippines, which generates $3.2 billion annually, sources only 20% of its Nescafé beans locally and is spearheading a push for self‑sufficiency. Domestic green‑bean output...
Could Ultra-Precise Harvest Forecast Give China an Advantage in Iran War Fallout?
China’s grain‑output forecasting system, honed over 46 years, now predicts national harvests with sub‑0.2% error, far outpacing the 5‑10% margins typical in the West. The model’s April release gives Beijing a six‑month lead before the autumn harvest, allowing pre‑emptive moves...
Premier Li Qiang Calls for a Global Pledge to Open up, While ‘Power Politics’ Runs Rampant
At the opening of the China Development Forum 2026, Premier Li Qiang called for a global pledge to deepen economic openness, warning that protectionism is not a cure for current challenges. He indirectly rebuked the United States, suggesting its trade...
Will the Houthis Join Iran in War Against Israel and the US?
The Houthis, known as Ansar Allah, have so far avoided direct involvement in the US‑Israel‑Iran war but recent statements suggest they are reconsidering. Their political bureau said “all options are on the table,” hinting at possible alignment with Iran against...