Global economic updates, market sentiment, and financial headlines.
The stock market largely fell in a volatile week as oil prices surged amid the Iran war. Oracle and Nvidia helped support AI stocks.
U.S. equities traded in mixed territory Friday morning as Wall Street weighed a stark downward revision to fourth-quarter economic growth against a sticky inflation reading prior to the oil shock of the war in Iran.
The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment reading for March 2026 came in at 55.5, a modest 1.9% decline from February's 56.6 and the lowest level in three months.
With markets slightly higher in early Friday trading, @CharlesSchwab's Joe Mazzola asks the question: "Are we able to hold these gains into the end of the day?" He says staying above $6800 is important for the S&P 500 (SPX).
Consumer spending grew at a 2% clip, down from 3.5% in the third quarter and the 2.4% the government had initially estimated.
Crude oil supply cuts are on track to reach nearly 12 million barrels per day by the end of next week, intensifying deficits in physical markets as tanker movements through a key Middle Eastern waterway face a two-week disruption, JPMorgan said in a note on Friday.
A presentation from a headhunting firm aimed to recruit Wall Street investors to the Pentagon by offering “unmatched access” to government officials and fund-raising opportunities among foreign sovereigns.
Pariah Capital's strategy is one thing that's been winning during the Iran conflict.
Most investors know me for my firm's Core Earnings research, a proprietary measure of earnings that adjusts for accounting tricks that mislead investors about corporate profits. The Core Earnings Leaders Index (ticker: BCORET:IND) beat (up 27% vs 18%) the S&P 500 by 9% in 2025 and provides solid evidence that there's alpha in Core Earnings research.
Economic growth was much slower than expected in the final three months of 2025 while core inflation rose to start 2026, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
The economic outlook among Americans fell in March after the U.S. attacked Iran, effectively erasing growth measured before the conflict as gas prices surged, according to a widely tracked survey published Friday by the University of Michigan.
Job openings in the U.S. showed a surprising pop in January, but it's far from clear if the increase is sustainable. Other evidence suggests the labor market is still very sluggish.
Events in Iran have led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting 20% of global crude exports as well as other important commodities. Recent oil market volatility surpasses that seen during Covid and the early 2022 Ukraine invasion.
Wall Street is digesting a raft of economic data that could bolster the case for a Federal Reserve rate cut in 2026. The FOMC meets next week.
Consumer sentiment was improving in late February prior to military action in Iran but turned sour as soon as the war broke out, the University of Michigan reported Friday.
The survey's sentiment index was 55.5 in its preliminary March reading, versus 56.6 in February. Analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected a reading of 55.3.
You'll hear the term 'risk-off' thrown around almost without a second thought. It's the sort of shorthand market commentators use to liven up analysis and to sound knowing without always explaining what the phrase actually means.
With offerings from SpaceX and OpenAI on the horizon, Nasdaq is considering a rules change that goes too far.
The Department of Commerce revised its economic growth estimate for the fourth quarter of 2025 from 1.4% to 0.7% on Friday, lowering an already underwhelming figure and indicating a more pronounced economic slowdown as markets continue to reel from the impact of the war on Iran.
U.S. stocks traded higher this morning, with the Dow Jones gaining more than 300 points on Friday.
Amid ongoing volatility in the crude oil trade, Mish Schneider is looking at technical levels in several key ETF products. She's closely monitoring the XRT Retail ETF with her eyes on a critical level at 81.50.
US stocks opened in green on Friday after oil prices displayed some sign of easing, and officials from the Trump administration signalled that the Strait of Hormuz blockade will not be a long-term problem. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 301 points, or 0.7%, while the S&P 500 added 0.5%, with the Nasdaq Composite also moving higher.
GDP grew at an 0.7% annual rate late last year, down from the initial reported pace of 1.4%.
A wave of US economic data came out Friday morning. Consumer spending barely moved upward, the US economy expanded at a 0.7% annualized rate in the fourth quarter and the so-called core PCE index rose 0.4% from December.
This is a developing story.
In the fast-changing 2026 market landscape, investors are increasingly seeking active managers who perform original, in-depth research, take a long-term view, and identify true drivers of growth.
The U.S. economy grew at a rate of 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a second estimate released on Friday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The Commerce Department on Friday released the January 2026 PCE inflation report, which showed the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge remained stubbornly high for consumers.
PCE inflation in January was 2.8% year over year. The numbers predate the Iran conflict.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the upcoming meeting with Chinese officials, state of U.S.-China trade relations, impact of the Iran war, President Trump's tariff agenda, and more.
The Federal Reserve's preferred gauge for inflation increased 2.8 percent annually and economists expect another bump in prices in the near-term.
The PCE price index for January was expected to show headline inflation at 2.9% and core at 3.1%.
Flows of money into emerging market bond funds fell in the week to March 11, while those into emerging market equity funds flattened after five straight weeks of inflows, shaken by the war in Iran, analysts said on Friday.
Iran conflict and Supreme Court tariff ruling add to air of uncertainty around the economy
Core PCE price index has risen 3.1% in past year. Iran conflict will push it even higher.
During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a high dividend payout.
Pipeline and a few large-cap energy companies still offer attractive valuations as oil prices stabilize in the $70–$90 range amid Middle East tensions. My screening prioritizes large-cap, high-yield energy names with ROE above 10% and dividend yields above 2.5%, emphasizing operational efficiency.
Inflation was persistent even before the Iran war.
Artificial intelligence turned memory tech names like Western Digital, Seagate and SanDisk into high-flying AI stocks. But don't forget these players' boom-bust cycles.
The S&P 500's structure might end up being its downfall. For a long time, the lack of reinforcements beyond the Mag-7 and a scant few others outside the top 20 stocks has not come to the fore.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average shifted from one of the best-performing US indices earlier in 2026 to one of the worst since the start of the US–Iran war 2026, falling 4.7% between 27 Feb and 12 Mar as global risk sentiment deteriorated. Heavy weighting in financial stocks, particularly Goldman Sachs, has amplified downside pressure as rising oil prices increase stagflation risks and reduce expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
Uncertainty over developments in the Middle East suggest investors should avoid buying Bunds, Commerzbank said.
London's main stock indexes extended declines on Friday, as the Middle East conflict heightened inflation fears that clouded the Bank of England's monetary policy outlook, while energy firms gained on higher oil prices.
The U.S. Section 301 investigation targets 16 major economies, signaling a shift to permanent, structural tariffs with broad market repercussions. Three market scenarios are outlined: expedited tariffs, prolonged negotiations with volatility, or global escalation leading to stagflation and severe asset repricing.
The S&P 500 remains resilient amid volatility, supported by Big Tech's secular growth and robust balance sheets. Massive AI-driven CapEx by hyperscalers contrasts with small businesses' conservative spending and focus on productivity and debt reduction.
The benchmark S&P 500 has fallen around 3% since the first wave of U.S.-led attacks on Iran at the end of February.
The Fed is likely to leave the Federal Funds rate unchanged at the March meeting and also signal a need to hike interest rates if the oil price shock persists. The current situation with the Iran war suggests that the oil price shock could persist; thus, we should brace for higher rates and lower stock prices.
Lizzy Burden, Tom Mackenzie and Mark Cudmore break down today's key themes for analysts and investors on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade." Chapters: 00:00:00 - MLIV -------- More on Bloomberg Television and Markets Like this video?
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