Global economic updates, market sentiment, and financial headlines.
An increase of about 50,000 in February would be seen as another sign the labor market is thawing.
The structural stability of the S&P 500 is more threatened by East Asian financial dynamics than by Middle Eastern conflicts. Recent sharp declines in Japan's and Korea's equity markets have more potential to affect S&P 500 valuations.
Driven by rising oil and gas prices, energy shares are the leading sector performer by far, based on a set of ETFs through yesterday's close (Mar. 4). The State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE), a Big Oil proxy, has surged more than 25% year-to-date.
The Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, invalidating those imposed under that authority by the Trump administration. This decision, made on Feb. 20, was the first of many dominoes to fall to shed light on the economic consequences associated with these tariff refunds.
With the conflict in the Middle East entering its sixth day on Thursday, Citi suggested that volatility for stock markets is set to continue as it assessed "how much preexisting market froth" had been unwound amid selling at the start of the week. "Three observations stand out," said Beata Manthey, the bank's European equity strategy head.
Iran's drone and missile strikes exposed weaknesses in regional air defenses. Drone stocks reacted strongly in the market, but the share price moves did not necessarily align with the companies that have the most capable counter-drone technologies.
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin says it's too soon to tell how policymakers will respond to the Iran war, but he says they are tracking the price of gasoline closely. He also says policy is modestly restrictive right now and we've seen "a couple months of relatively high inflation.
European equities have weakened sharply, with the Euro STOXX 50 falling 6% over two days before a modest rebound, while the DAX remains down 4.3% since February 27 amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Ongoing conflict involving Iran and military actions authorised in the United States Senate risk prolonging Middle East energy disruptions, potentially raising energy costs for the European Union and weighing on regional equities.
This is a developing story.
The U.S. economy is gaining strength in early 2026, with robust service sector growth and easing input costs. Market upside is supported by improving corporate profits and expectations for lower interest rates in the second half of the year.
U.S. jobless claims held steady last week as employers preferred to retain staff rather than implement layoffs.
As of March 5, 2026, two stocks in the industrials sector could be flashing a real warning to investors who value momentum as a key criteria in their trading decisions.
The number of people who lost jobs and applied for unemployment benefits at the end of February clung to recent lows and added to a flurry of signals suggesting the labor market has stabilized.
Global private equity and venture capital deal value in South Korea totaled $8.58 billion, down 38.8% from the prior year and the lowest annual figure since at least 2020. The number of transactions fell to 446 from 582 in 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
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.
The S&P 500 is undergoing a major rotation, with alpha shifting from big tech to energy, industrials, and materials. Capital flows, economic indicators, and AI-driven power demand are driving a regime change favoring cyclical, capex-intensive sectors.
What matters in U.S. and global markets today
It may be time to dive deeper into the emerging markets trade.
China faces significant near-term risk from Middle East oil disruptions, compounding existing economic fragility and reliance on discounted Iranian and Venezuelan crude. Short-term supply shocks could impact up to 1.9 million barrels per day of China's imports, but large oil inventories (approx.
Variant Perception said its S&P 500 “Correction Signal” has only been triggered three times since 2019.
Broadcom beat first-quarter earnings expectations, trade court paves way for broad tariff refunds for businesses, Beige Book reports growth, and more news to start your day.
Plus, China's economy is slowing down.
The most oversold stocks in the health care sector presents an opportunity to buy into undervalued companies.
The Federal Reserve doesn't understand inflation, which is why it could do real damage if the Iran war doesn't end quickly.
The average Russell 3,000 stock currently has 7.5% of its float sold short. The Pharma, Biotech & Life Sciences group has the highest average short interest as a percentage of float at 13%, followed by Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail (11.5%) and Media & Entertainment (10.7%).
Eurozone retail sales fell unexpectedly in January, despite an uptick in consumer confidence at the start of the year.
A long war in Iran would push up inflation in the euro zone and hurt growth but it is still too early to draw any conclusion about the conflict, European Central Bank policymaker Joachim Nagel said on Thursday.
Rising energy prices, snarled supply chains and higher government debt could all hurt American consumers.
Global markets showed resilience even as the U.S. Senate green-lit the U.S. attacks against Iran amid an escalating Middle East conflict.
AI leadership isn't one race. From chips and power to models and industrial deployment, global countries are positioned to capture unique value in different layers of the AI stack.
Oil prices soared to kick off March after weekend military strikes on Iran, raising geopolitical tensions and inflation expectations. Earnings are also in focus as semiconductor giants Broadcom and Marvell report on the state of AI before Nvidia's GTC conference.
The US banking sector underperformed the broader stock market in February. The 205 banks in an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis had a median total return of negative 2.1% in February, trailing the S&P 500's negative 0.8% return.
Anna Edwards, Lizzy Burden, Tom Mackenzie and Mark Cudmore break down today's key themes for analysts and investors on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade." -------- More on Bloomberg Television and Markets Like this video?
The military operation in Iran has a much broader geopolitical rationale with regards to U.S. defense posture and strategy. Structural disruption to energy supply, translating to higher long-term prices, seems unlikely, potentially limiting the impact on the U.S. economy and Fed policy.
We aren't changing our positive view on stocks, but we'll be watching developments closely as events unfold. Markets have generally proven resilient and delivered positive returns in the 12 months after major military events.
Global equities stage an impressive comeback as traders absorb fears about the conflict in Middle East. Tech and chip stocks lead the way in Asia with South Korea's Kospi rebounding to potentially posting its best session in 18 years.
The sector offers stability and is trading at a discount to the broader market. But investors searching for income here need to be selective.
Sure, they had a great run. But they were overpriced, free-spending—and, as it turns out, vulnerable to AI.
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Wednesday.
Alice Han of Greenmantle discusses the impact of the Iran war on relations between U.S. and China, and the upcoming summit between the two. She says not to understate the impact of the newly elected Japanese PM Takaichi on Chinese relations with Japan, and tensions along the Taiwan Strait.
Market expectations call for a significant deceleration in job growth (58k-65k), with sticky Average Hourly Earnings (+0.4% m/m) being the "danger zone" for potential stagflation. A strong NFP (> 100k) could see DXY rise toward 100.40 as rate cuts are priced out; a weak NFP (< 50k) could push DXY down toward 98.00 on bets of a Fed pivot.
Edward Finley-Richardson of Contango Research explains the spillover effect of the U.S.-Iran war on the global shipping sector and how it is impacting insurance costs and freight rates.
Appetite for risky assets improved on the back of strong U.S. economic data released overnight.
After today's rally, the S&P 500 is down just 0.1% since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
With the 2025 Q4 cycle nearly over, we can confidently claim that corporate profitability remains strong while also showing signs of improvement, underpinned by a positive revisions trend for the current and upcoming periods.
The latest Federal Reserve Beige Book, released on Wednesday (March 4), describes a U.S. economy advancing at a restrained pace, a finding that corresponds with PYMNTS Intelligence data showing that millions of workers remain employed yet financially unsettled, while still opening their wallets to underpin economic growth.
The U.S. insists that the military operation in Iran should only last "four to five weeks" and that it won't be another "forever war" of the type seen in Afghanistan or Iran. Analysts say the U.S. could easily get bogged down in "Operation Epic Fury" if the Iranian regime proves more entrenched and robust to attack.
Chevron lagged, despite another solid gain of 2% in crude oil futures to $76.11 per barrel.
Individual investors have kept on buying through recent stock slides.