
Global equities fell sharply on March 1 as the Iran crisis escalated, with Asian shares dropping 1.6% and U.S. and European futures slipping over 1% and 1.7% respectively. The heightened geopolitical risk pushed investors toward safe‑haven assets, lifting the U.S. dollar and gold. Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel, reflecting concerns over Middle‑East supply disruptions. The broad retreat underscores heightened volatility across risk assets.
The Atlantic Council essay by Ahmed Charai examines how the United States can preserve a credible deterrence posture in the Middle East after the eventual death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Charai argues that Washington must blend conventional force,...

Hungarian startup Edortech announced its patented tin‑anode system, ONLi, ready for scale‑up after a decade of research. Independent audits show the anode can deliver up to 70 % higher energy density and 1.8 times the capacity of conventional graphite or Si‑C anodes...

The Serbian embassy in Tehran was damaged during Iranian airstrikes on March 1, though no staff were injured. A nearby military base was also hit, prompting the embassy team to relocate to Baku under standard diplomatic protocols. President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed...
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are prompting concerns about rising energy costs for Indian firms, especially those in energy‑intensive sectors. While the overall share of power and fuel expenses in corporate cost structures has softened to about 4.3% in...
Calamos Market Neutral Income Strategy posted a 1.53% net return in Q4 2025, beating the Bloomberg US Government/Credit Bond Index’s 0.90% gain. The fund’s performance was driven by a strong hedged‑equity book and continued arbitrage activity, even as SPAC arbitrage...
India’s electronics and tech exports to the Gulf, valued at $4.5 billion in FY26, face disruption as the Iran‑Israel conflict restricts airspace and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates, the second‑largest buyer, accounted for $4.1 billion of those shipments,...

A new Australian study using HILDA survey data and latent class analysis identified six distinct profiles of discouraged workers – people who want a job but have stopped looking. The groups range from young, low‑educated men to older, well‑educated women...
The ongoing West Asia conflict is expected to push global pulse prices higher, threatening a rise in dal costs for Indian households. India imports roughly 5‑6 million tonnes of pulses from Myanmar, Canada and Africa, leaving the domestic market vulnerable to...
The escalating Middle East conflict sparked a fire at Jabel Ali port, the UAE hub that moves roughly 65 % of GCC polymer exports and 33 % of regional petrochemical cargo. The blaze, caused by debris from an aerial interception, resulted in no...
Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott has invested C$23 million (≈ $16.8 million) for a 9.9 % equity stake in British Columbia‑focused junior American Eagle Gold. The deal, executed at C$1.20 per share, pushes the company's market capitalization to roughly C$163 million and brings its cash balance...

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil conduit, has seen trade reduced to a trickle after a wave of escalatory attacks. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, followed by Iranian reprisals triggered by the reported assassination of Supreme Leader...
Markets entered March after a volatile week marked by a hot inflation surprise and heightened U.S.–Israel‑Iran tensions that rattled airline stocks and lifted oil prices. The week’s focal point is Friday’s February jobs report, released alongside January retail‑sales data, forcing...

Ancora Advisors disclosed a $148.26 million purchase of 11.5 million Americold Realty Trust shares, representing about 3.05 % of its $4.85 billion U.S. equity portfolio and making the REIT its fourth‑largest holding. The stake was taken while Americold’s stock is down 42 % from its...
ProShares UltraPro Short S&P 500 ETF (SPXU) delivers –3X daily exposure to the S&P 500, attracting short‑term traders seeking inverse market bets. The fund manages about $489 million in assets and sees roughly $284 million in average daily trading volume. SPXU is prone to...
Marriott International (MAR) posted a market cap of $90.6 billion and trades 7.6% below its 52‑week high. Over the past three months the stock rose 12.2%, far outpacing the S&P 500’s roughly 1% gain, and it’s up 10.2% year‑to‑date. The company delivered...

Japan announced a $36 billion investment in the United States as the first phase of a broader $550 billion partnership, with most of the capital earmarked for a 9.2‑gigawatt natural‑gas‑fired power plant in Ohio. The project aims to address rising electricity demand...

Maynilad Water Services is moving its ₱30 billion Teresa water‑treatment plant from Rizal to a site within its West Zone concession to better align with the upcoming Kaliwa dam. The relocation shortens pipeline distance, aiming to cut non‑revenue water losses and...

The Philippines is seeking up to $800 million from the Asian Development Bank as a partial credit guarantee to backstop availability payments for the North‑South Commuter Railway (NSCR) operator. The guarantee, equivalent to 24 months of payments, aims to mitigate government...

Discovery World Corp. is injecting ₱265 million into its Palawan resort portfolio, subscribing to ₱250 million of shares in Euro Pacific Resorts and ₱15 million in Palawan Cove to fund new beachfront developments and bolster working capital. The move also raises JT Perle Corp.'s...

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has moved from taxing to dismantling Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) by issuing a revenue memorandum circular that bans and declares all POGOs illegal, repealing the tax law that previously regulated them. This enforcement...

MUFG Bank expects U.S. tariffs on Philippine imports to decline following the Supreme Court’s decision that curbed the Trump administration’s emergency‑powers tariff authority. The bank notes that exemptions for high‑value semiconductors and key agricultural products should keep effective trade costs...

Nickel Asia Corp (NAC) posted a 312% jump in net income to ₱6.27 billion, driven by record nickel ore prices and a 56% rise in EBITDA. The company announced three new wholly‑owned subsidiaries to support a geothermal holding entity, a shared‑services...

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on Tehran, destroying multiple command headquarters, including the General Staff for Internal Security, after an Iranian missile strike killed nine Israelis in Beit Shemesh. Israel reported firing about 100 ballistic missiles at Iran...

European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel warned that confidence in the U.S. dollar’s safe‑haven status is waning. He noted that recent market turbulence has led international investors to question the dollar’s reliability, contributing to its ongoing weakness. Nagel...

The article highlights how simultaneous geopolitical tensions at the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and Pakistan’s Arabian Sea threaten global maritime trade. Iranian Revolutionary Guard warnings triggered tanker stand‑offs, navigation interference, and a surge in war‑risk insurance premiums, while...

Iraqi groups linked to the Islamic Resistance announced a mass march to storm the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on March 1, targeting the Green Zone at 8:30 pm. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons, dispersing protesters who had already...
East West Bancorp (EWBC) disclosed notable insider sales in early February 2026, with CEO Ng Dominic offloading 50,000 shares worth about $5.9 million and Director Molly Campbell selling 1,800 shares valued at $221,000. The transactions reduced their ownership stakes by 6 percent...
Wells Fargo analyst Elyse Greenspan raised Globe Life's price target to $171, keeping an Overweight rating. The adjustment follows the firm's latest fourth‑quarter guidance, which aligned with consensus but prompted a broader reduction in earnings estimates for peers. Insider activity...
Bank of America downgraded Fox Corporation (NASDAQ:FOX) from Buy to Underperform on February 25, 2026, slashing its price target from $80 to $45. The downgrade centers on uncertainty surrounding upcoming NFL contract renewals and a projected 22% downside to fiscal‑2027...
KeyBanc raised Zoom’s price target to $74 from $69 on February 26, 2026, while keeping an Underweight rating, citing a likely pause in margin expansion as the company ramps up product development and sales spend. Despite enterprise and online growth...
On February 26, 2026, Travelers executives Maria Olivo and David Rowland sold 10,400 and 4,731 shares respectively, generating roughly $3.19 million and $1.46 million in proceeds and trimming their ownership stakes by 8% and 11%. The same day, Morgan Stanley lifted its...

Iranian officials have rejected claims that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was killed in the recent US‑Israeli strikes on Tehran's Narmak district. The joint operation on February 28 reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, sparking a...

Traders are gearing up for a surge in zero‑day options (0DTE) on major tech names as the broader equity rally loses steam. Sector rotations have flattened S&P 500 gains for the year, and the close of earnings season has heightened...

Cathie Wood’s Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) recently added three new positions: design‑software firm Figma, gene‑editing company CRISPR Therapeutics, and AI‑focused data‑center provider CoreWeave. Figma now represents about 0.66% of the fund after a third purchase in February, while CRISPR has...
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signaled it will not impose sweeping curbs on SME IPOs, preferring targeted oversight instead. Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey emphasized stronger due‑diligence, site visits and third‑party monitoring to hold merchant bankers accountable. Recent...

On March 2, Iran’s Central Bank lifted daily transfer limits across its banking system to ease pressure from high inflation and the ongoing war. The POL instant network cap rose to IRR 1 billion, card‑to‑card limits to IRR 150 million, and payment transaction ceilings to...

Top Wall Street analysts highlighted three dividend‑paying energy stocks—Williams Cos., MPLX and Energy Transfer—each offering attractive yields and growth catalysts. Williams raised its quarterly dividend 5% to 52.5 cents, delivering a 2.84% yield, while analysts see 12‑13% EBITDA CAGR through...

Geopolitical tensions surged after coordinated US‑Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait’s Boursa Kuwait suspended all trading, while Saudi, Oman and Bahrain markets slipped 1‑2% despite Saudi Aramco’s 2.6% rally on rising oil...
Bunker traders in Fujairah, the Middle East’s largest marine fuels hub, are preparing for a sharp decline in demand after heightened Gulf tensions and unverified warnings of a Strait of Hormuz closure. Recent missile strikes near Fujairah and Jebel Ali have...

The article warns that splurging on luxury items such as high‑end cars, oversized homes, and exclusive club memberships can quickly erode savings and hinder long‑term financial goals. It outlines how each purchase brings hidden costs—depreciation, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and lack...
Canada and Mexico posted record foreign direct investment in 2025, underscoring North America’s growing role as a manufacturing hub. Canada received $96.8 billion, the strongest inflow in 18 years, while Mexico attracted a historic $40.87 billion, a 10.8% year‑over‑year rise. U.S. investors...
State‑owned QatarEnergy Marketing postponed its March Qatar Sulphur Price (QSP) announcement to 4 March, citing recent geopolitical developments. February’s QSP was set at $520 per tonne FOB, a modest $3 increase from January. The delay follows the US‑Israeli strike on Iran,...
Schwab’s High Yield Bond ETF (SCYB) received a hold rating as macro‑economic headwinds raise concerns in the junk bond market. The fund offers a 6.7% distribution yield, a short 2.9‑year duration, and 58% exposure to BB‑rated issuers, but technical resistance...
The iShares Core S&P Small‑Cap ETF (IJR) has been upgraded to a Buy as it trades roughly 30% below the S&P 500 valuation while delivering faster earnings growth. Its profitability screen removes the 43% of unprofitable firms found in broader small‑cap...

Investors are shifting toward large‑cap stocks as small‑cap valuations in India remain stretched and foreign inflows stay muted, while the IT sector’s recent correction adds volatility. Simultaneously, the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have forced airlines to cancel flights,...
Wendy’s stock has slumped about 51% over the past year, hitting a 52‑week low near $6.73 even after a Q4 2025 earnings beat. The decline is driven by the chain’s worst same‑store sales performance in two decades and weakening free‑cash flow....
Following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, crude oil prices surged, with WTI at $67.29 and Brent at $72.87. Barclays raised its Brent forecast to $100 per barrel, citing heightened supply‑disruption risk...

The Indian cabinet’s Economic Affairs Committee has cleared the initial public offering of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), a fully government‑owned NBFC‑ND‑IFC. The approval aligns with the Budget 2026‑27 emphasis on disinvestment and capital‑market listings for public‑sector entities. IIFCL...
Major oil majors and leading trading houses have suspended crude and fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran‑Israel‑US conflict escalates. Israel launched a pre‑emptive strike on Iran, followed by U.S. air and naval attacks, prompting heightened security...