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Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodities strategist Mike McGlone predicts Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) will fall to $10,000, calling the crypto asset class “dead” as unlimited token supply and five years of underperformance versus the S&P 500 make it uninvestable for institutional risk managers.

The $10,000 Target Explained

McGlone defines $10,000 as the most widely traded price for Bitcoin since 2019-2020, similar to how crude oil has traded around $57 per barrel for almost 10 years. 

“That’s where Bitcoin set its place,” McGlone said, arguing the asset will return to this level during a broader risk asset correction.

McGlone previously called for Bitcoin to drop to $1,100 in 2018 when it traded at $10,000.

Bitcoin ultimately bottomed at $3,000, making him “30% wrong, 70% right.” He became bullish in 2019 and correctly predicted Bitcoin would exceed $100,000 in 2020 by “just adding a zero.”

Now McGlone argues Bitcoin must “lop off a zero” from $100,000. Currently trading around $68,000, he’s about 32% …

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Ripple has begun buying back equity shares from investors and employees in a tender offer worth up to $750 million that values the private company at $50 billion.

Ripple’s Biggest Buyback Yet

The repurchase, reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday, comes as crypto markets reel.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has fallen more than 40% from its October peak and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has dropped over 50%. Ripple is effectively buying back its own equity at fire-sale crypto prices while signaling a $50 billion self-assessment.

Ripple bought back $285 million at an $11 billion valuation in January 2024, offered $700 million at $175 per share in June 2025, then attempted a $1 billion tender at $40 billion in September 2025 that saw the lowest participation rate of any round, with employees refusing to sell.

The …

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Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) macro behaviour is increasingly tied to global liquidity and energy markets, which increases its correlation with the Nasdaq, according to VanEck’s Matthew Sigel.

Bitcoin’s Correlation With Nasdaq Rising

Speaking on Squawk Box on CNBC on March 11, Sigel said oil shocks and geopolitical tensions, including risks around the Strait of Hormuz, can tighten liquidity and put pressure on risk assets such as Bitcoin.

As a result, Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq Composite has climbed to a five-year high.

Sigel also noted that investors in the Middle East are increasingly turning to Bitcoin during geopolitical stress because it is easier to move across borders than physical assets such as Gold.

Recent data showing increased crypto transfers from Iran …

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Bitcoin is holding $70,000 as oil price continue to remain elevated.

Cryptocurrency Ticker Price
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $70,461.60
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) $2,070.06
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) $87.36
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) $1.39
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) $0.09438
Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) $0.055823

Notable Statistics:

  • Coinglass data shows 95,278 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $190.53 million.
  • SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $250.9 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Tuesday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $12.6 million.
  • In the past 24 hours, top gainers include Internet Computer, JUST and Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

Notable Developments:

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The latest inflation data from the Labor Department showed that price increases continued at a steady pace in February, though some items saw notable price hikes or declines.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.4% from a year ago in February, a figure that was in line with the expectations of economists polled by LSEG and unchanged from January’s reading.

Core CPI inflation – a figure which excludes volatile measures of food and energy prices – was up 2.5% in February, also in line with expectations and unchanged from a month ago.

The readings for both headline and core CPI were above the Federal Reserve’s long-run target of 2% annual inflation but well below the 9.1% high recorded in June 2022 amid the pandemic-era inflation surge.

INFLATION HELD STEADY IN FEBRUARY AND REMAINED ABOVE THE FED’S TARGET

Here’s a look at some popular items from the February CPI report that saw notable increases or decreases in prices.

Coffee prices were up 18.4% from a year ago in February. The U.S. imports the majority of its coffee and those imports were subject to higher tariffs for most of 2025 before an exemption was put in place to address affordability concerns.

Lettuce prices rose 15.3% on an annual basis through February, including a 12.2% monthly increase. A confluence of factors has impacted lettuce prices, including a disease affecting some lettuce grown in California, agricultural labor shortages due to immigration enforcement, as well as a seasonal transition between growing regions.

BEEF PRICES SOAR AS AMERICAN FAMILIES PAY STEEP PRICES FOR STEAKS AND BURGERS NATIONWIDE

Beef and veal prices increased 14.4% year over year, and within that category, beef steaks were up 16.3% while ground beef was up 15.2% and beef roasts rose 12.4%. Beef prices have risen as the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 70-year low due to drought and wildfires in key ranching regions, as well as higher overhead costs facing ranchers.

Audio equipment prices rose 13.5% on an annual basis through February. A combination of tariffs, rising raw material costs for inputs like copper and gold, as well as increased demand for components such as chips that are also used in artificial intelligence data centers contributed to the rise.

Utility gas service prices were up 10.9% from a year ago in February, including a 3.1% monthly increase. Natural gas prices were volatile amid geopolitical tensions prior to the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, as well as due to increased demand for U.S. natural gas exports to Europe and Asia.

HOW THE IRAN WAR COULD HIT AMERICANS’ GROCERY BILLS

Egg prices plunged 42.1% in February compared with last year, including a 3.8% monthly decline. The decline is occurring as the egg supply chain normalizes after an avian flu outbreak impacted inventory levels in recent years, prompting dramatic price increases.

Smartphone prices fell 13.9% from a year ago in February, in part because the BLS index includes older smartphone models that have been discounted and also accounts for the tech improvements. That means a more capable phone at a higher price may be reflected as a price decline due to the relative capability improvement. Additionally, smartphones were generally exempt from tariffs in 2025, unlike some other electronic devices like audio equipment.

Tax return preparation and accounting fees declined 6.4% over the last year. The decline was driven by the integration of AI into tax software as well as the expansion of the IRS’ Direct File and Free File programs and more simplistic tax forms for self-filers.

WILL TAPPING OIL RESERVES CURB SOARING GAS PRICES?

Gasoline prices were down 5.6% year over year in February, inclusive of a 0.8% increase for the month. The BLS’ data was collected prior to the outbreak of the Iran war, which has pushed oil and gasoline prices significantly higher in recent weeks.

Television prices fell 4.1% in the last year through February, continuing a longstanding deflationary trend in TV prices. The BLS uses a similar model for TVs as it does for smartphones, so improved features or larger TVs can result in a reported decline in prices due to tech and capability improvements.

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A projectile hit a Thai-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it on fire.

The Iranian regime reportedly claimed responsibility for striking the ship, the Mayuree Naree. The Omani navy was assisting in rescuing crew members amid the blaze, according to Thailand’s Marine Department. Iran has been targeting commercial shipping vessels through the strategic passageway amid tensions surrounding the global energy sector. 

U.S. Central Command later issued a warning to civilians “that the Iranian regime is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct military operations that threaten international shipping.” CENTCOM stressed that, “This dangerous action risks the lives of innocent people. Civilian ports used for military purposes lose protected status and become legitimate military targets under international law.”

HOW THE IRAN WAR COULD HIT AMERICANS’ GROCERY BILLS

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre had issued reports earlier Wednesday of ships being struck in the region, including one about a cargo ship reportedly being struck in the Strait of Hormuz.

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 11NM north of Oman in the Straits of Hormuz. It has been reported that a cargo vessel has been hit by an unknown projectile in the Straits of Hormuz which has resulted in a fire onboard,” the warning stated, with an update noting that the fire was “extinguished.”

PANAMA CANAL CHIEF TOUTS LOGISTICAL CAPABILITIES AS IRAN CRISIS CHOKES OFF STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHIPPING ROUTE

One of the other warnings stated, “UKMTO has received a report of an incident 25NM northwest of Ra’s al Khaymah, UAE. The Master of a container vessel has reported that the vessel has sustained damage from a suspected but unknown projectile.” It also noted that “The Master additionally reports that all crew members are safe and accounted for.”

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 50NM northwest of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Master of a Bulk Carrier has reported their vessel being hit by an unknown projectile,” another warning stated. “The crew are reported safe and well.”

In a Monday Truth Social, President Donald Trump warned of consequences if Iran acts to stop the transport of oil in the Strait of Hormuz.

OIL SPIKE FADES AS MARKETS REASSESS IRAN WAR SUPPLY RISKS

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” Trump warned in the post.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said that it “will not allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice,” according to the Associated Press.

Gas prices have been surging in the U.S. as Trump prosecutes the controversial war effort against the Islamic Republic along with the nation of Israel, a close U.S. ally.

The AAA national average price for a gallon of regular gas is currently $3.578.

Fox News’ Rebekah Castor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Strive (NASDAQ:ASST) purchased $50 million of Strategy’s (NASDAQ:MSTR) STRC preferred stock after Michael Saylor claimed STRC achieved a Sharpe ratio above 3, outperforming Nvidia, Tesla and gold on risk-adjusted returns.

The Saylor Sharpe Ratio Claim

Saylor posted on X on Wednesday that STRC achieved a Sharpe ratio of 3.08, comparing it to gold at 2.88, Alphabet at 2.65, Nvidia at 1.66, and Tesla at 1.32. 

The Sharpe ratio measures returns relative to risk taken, with higher numbers indicating better risk-adjusted performance.

“Digital Credit is engineered for superior risk-adjusted returns,” Saylor said. STRC currently yields 11.5% with monthly cash distributions. 

The dividend rate adjusts each month to keep shares trading close to their $100 par value while limiting price volatility.

The claim positions STRC as delivering better returns per unit of risk than major tech stocks and traditional safe havens. …

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Fundstrat’s Tom Lee says the crypto market has moved past its winter phase, with reduced speculation and leverage creating a healthier foundation for future gains.

Markets Could Move Higher Through March

Markets, including crypto and major tech stocks, appear to have emerged from a recent bear phase, Lee said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday.

He expects markets to move higher in the near term, particularly through March, although he warned that a broader bear market could develop later in the year.

A roughly 20% decline could occur once markets stop reacting positively to good news, a signal Lee views as a typical indicator that a larger downturn may be forming.

For now, much of the speculative excess …

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Small Business Administrator (SBA) Kelly Loeffler unveiled a sweeping fraud crackdown on Wednesday, announcing an audit of a decades-old $50 billion program she said has “never been looked at” and barring 112,000 borrowers from future aid over COVID-era loan fraud.

“There are dozens of programs across this government that need to be reviewed,” Loeffler told “Mornings with Maria.”

“I found a program that we had in our agency about 50 years old, [that has] never been looked at, $50 billion, so what we’re doing is auditing each participant in the program, and we’re looking back at COVID-era loans.”

GOP SENATORS LAUNCH TASK FORCE TO CRACK DOWN ON FRAUD TIED TO MINNESOTA SCANDAL

The SBA chief said 112,000 borrowers in California are banned from ever getting SBA assistance again for allegedly defrauding COVID-era loan programs and expressed gratitude to Vice President JD Vance for leading the charge in the fight against fraud.

President Trump tapped Vance to spearhead the administration’s “war on fraud” during his State of the Union address last month, a task the vice president accepted with a promise to root out “stolen” taxpayer money on a systematic level.

PHILADELPHIA MEN REPEATEDLY TRAVELED TO MINNEAPOLIS TO CARRY OUT $3.5M HOUSING FRAUD SCHEME: DOJ

“The American people want accountability. They want to make sure their hard-earned tax dollars are not going to fraudsters,” Loeffler said.

“People that have come here and built businesses on defrauding the government… we’re going to see results on that and make sure that we change it for good. These changes need to be durable and sustainable for the American taxpayer.”

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Loeffler has already paused some SBA loans to Minnesota amid a widespread fraud investigation in the state.

She vowed to go “state by state” to weed out offenders, telling the New York Post that the push is part of a greater effort to “contribute meaningfully” to Vance’s fraud task force.

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Mastercard (NYSE:MA) on Wednesday launched a Crypto Partner Program with over 85 companies including Binance (CRYPTO: BNB), Circle (NASDAQ:CRCL), Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP), Gemini, PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), and Paxos to connect blockchain technology with its global payments infrastructure.

The 85+ Partner Program

The initiative brings together crypto exchanges, blockchain developers, fintech firms, and banks to explore how blockchain-based systems can connect with traditional payment rails used by banks, merchants, and consumers. 

Participants will work with Mastercard teams to shape products combining on-chain tools with established payment rails.

The program focuses on practical use cases where digital assets are gaining traction, including cross-border transfers, business-to-business payments, and global payouts. 

Companies will collaborate on future product development targeting enterprise applications like remittances, B2B transfers, and settlement.

Mastercard’s network links banks, merchants, …

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As the U.S. enters its fifth year of inflation running above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, major retailers are responding to softer demand and increased competitive pressure.

With consumer sentiment in 2026 divided and the cost of living remaining a top concern among Americans, Target announced Wednesday that it will reduce prices on more than 3,000 items.

“Busy families are thinking about value as they begin to update their homes and wardrobes for spring,” , Cara Sylvester, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, said in a press release.

“We’re delivering by lowering prices on 3,000 spring favorites across apparel, essentials and home,” she continued. “We’re committed to making it easier than ever for guests to have the fresh style and incredible value they love, with lower prices on the items we know they want.”

BELOVED BUC-EE’S CONVENIENCE STORE CHAIN FACES CUSTOMER SERVICE CRISIS AFTER DEVASTATING ‘F’ RATING

The discounted categories include women’s and children’s apparel, footwear such as flats, sandals and sneakers, bedding and blankets, baby products, household essentials and pantry staples.

Most reductions range from 5% to 20% off original prices and will begin rolling out in stores this month through the spring.

However, the price reduction program excludes stores in Alaska and Hawaii.

Inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target in February as policymakers continue to weigh affordability concerns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday that the consumer price index (CPI) — a broad measure of the cost of goods and services, including gasoline, groceries and rent — rose 0.3% in February and increased 2.4% from a year earlier. The annual rate was unchanged from January, while the monthly gain was slightly higher than January’s 0.2% increase.

The price cuts appear to be part of a broader strategy aimed at restoring sales growth. Target CEO Michael Fiddelke outlined the company’s plan to return to growth during a financial community meeting last week, citing investments in key categories such as women’s apparel, home and baby.

“This new chapter of growth at Target is defined by clear choices and rooted in a deeper understanding of our unique lane in retail, the guests we serve and the areas where we’re distinctly positioned to win,” Fiddelke said.

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“This work is underway, and by putting style, design and value at the center of every decision,” he continued, “we’re making big changes to lead with a trend-forward assortment, elevate the guest experience, accelerate with technology and equip our teams to deliver the most delightful experience in retail, for today and over the long term.”

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FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.

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Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and his wife announced they’ve moved to Florida for their “retirement phase,” leaving Washington state after nearly half a century.

Schultz shared the news in a post on LinkedIn, recounting how he, his wife Sheri, and their golden retriever Jonas, made the move from New York City to Seattle 44 years ago.

“We were starting a new life,” Shultz wrote, recalling how Sheri would be their primary income earner as he started a new job “at a place called Starbucks” in September 1982.

Schultz would later become the coffee company’s CEO, serving in the position from 1986 to 2000, from 2008 to 2017, and as its interim CEO from 2022 to 2023.

STARBUCKS TO OPEN NEW OFFICE IN NASHVILLE, MOVE SOME JOBS FROM SEATTLE

“The spirit of continuing forward has long underpinned our approach to life—in business, in philanthropy and most importantly, as a family,” Schultz wrote. “For those of you who know us well, we have entered the ‘retirement’ phase of our lives. (A term we are both just getting used to.)”

Schultz added that he and Sheri moved to Miami, where they were enjoying the sunshine and being close to their kids on the East Coast as they raised their own families.

“We will be forever grateful for the memories made in Seattle and the relationships built along the way,” Schultz wrote. “To the family, friends and partners who made Seattle our home for so many years, thank you.”

STARBUCKS’ TURNAROUND PLAN SHOWS PROMISE IN US AS SALES GROWTH RETURNS FOR FIRST TIME IN 2 YEARS

Schultz has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.

The news of Schultz’s move to Florida comes a week after Starbucks said it will be opening a new corporate office in Nashville.

Both announcements come as Washington state has been working to pass what has been dubbed the “millionaires tax,” which would impose a 9.9% income tax on households earning more than $1 million annually.

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The Washington State House of Representatives passed the controversial bill in a 51-46 vote. The bill must now be confirmed by the State Senate before Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson can sign it into law.

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Yamaha Motor Co. is relocating its U.S. headquarters from California to Georgia after nearly a half century of operations in the Golden State.

The company announced late last month that it will move the corporate headquarters of its U.S. entity from Cypress, California, to Kennesaw, Georgia. It added that the relocation will occur incrementally by business function, starting in late 2026, and is expected to conclude in late 2028.

Yamaha said in its announcement the move is “undertaking structural reforms aimed at improving the profitability of its U.S. operations in response to cost increases resulting from U.S. tariffs and changes in the market environment.”

CALIFORNIA TECH LEADERS CHALLENGE PROGRESSIVE POLICIES AS BILLIONAIRES, BUSINESSES FLEE

The company manufactures ATVs, boat engines, personal watercraft and other motorized products. It is also known for its motorcycles, though they are not produced in North America.

PUBLIC STORAGE RELOCATES HEADQUARTERS FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS

Yamaha established its office in Cypress in 1979, a year after acquiring the land. It relocated its marine business to Kennesaw in 1999 and its motorsports business there in 2019. The California office houses mostly corporate functions and the financial services business, Yamaha said.

“After many years of great partnership, we are honored and proud to welcome Yamaha’s American headquarters to the No. 1 state for business,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “This is another loud and clear testament to what we offer job creators from around the world. To any other California-based companies looking for a better home, we’ll give you plenty of reasons to keep Georgia on your mind.”

RICH CALIFORNIANS FLOCK TO LAS VEGAS HOUSING MARKET AS LAWMAKERS CONSIDER WEALTH TAX

Yamaha employs more than 2,300 workers in Georgia, according to Kemp’s office.

The move adds to a broader trend of relocations out of California by both corporations and individuals, as the high cost of doing business and a proposed wealth tax on the state’s highest earners weighs.

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is trading sideways, with investors’ weakening conviction conviction pointing to a psychologically difficult phase of the market cycle.

Why Investors Are Getting Jittery

Data from CryptoQuant suggests the market is currently in a highly uncertain phase marked more by hesitation than conviction.

Several on-chain indicators point to weakening investor confidence:

  • Apparent demand briefly improved following the latest sell-off but quickly turned negative again, indicating buyers remain cautious.
  • The CryptoQuant Bull Market Cycle Indicator currently signals a bear-market consolidation phase, typically associated with sideways price action and frustrating …

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This is a developing story about the February 2026 consumer price index. Please check back for updates.

Inflation remained elevated in February as the pace of consumer price growth stayed above the Federal Reserve’s target rate as policymakers weigh affordability concerns.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday said that the consumer price index (CPI) – a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost – rose 0.3% on a monthly basis in February and held steady at 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. The annual figure was unchanged from January, while the monthly gain was slightly higher than last month’s 0.2% reading.

Both figures were in line with the expectations of economists polled by LSEG.

So-called core prices, which exclude volatile measurements of gasoline and food to better assess price growth trends, were up 0.2% from the prior month and rose 2.5% from a year ago. Those figures were in line with economists’ expectations.

The monthly core CPI figure was slightly cooler than January’s 0.3% reading, while the annual figure was unchanged from last month.

FED OFFICIALS CLOSELY MONITOR IRAN CONFLICT FOR POTENTIAL INFLATION IMPACT

Economists have noted that inflation data from December 2025 through April 2026 will be affected due to data collection interruptions resulting from last fall’s 43-day government shutdown.

During the shutdown, the BLS wasn’t able to gather data and used a carry-forward methodology to make up for the lack of an October CPI report and missing data in November’s report. Economists say that going forward this is likely to impart a downward bias on inflation data until this spring, when fresh data will negate the discrepancy.

High inflation has created severe financial pressures in recent years for most U.S. households, which are forced to pay more for everyday necessities like food and rent. Price hikes are particularly difficult for lower-income Americans, because they tend to spend more of their already-stretched paychecks on necessities and have less flexibility to save.

Food prices increased 0.4% in February and were up 3.1% from a year ago. The food at home index was up 0.4% for the month and 2.4% from last year, while the food away from home index rose 0.3% on a monthly basis and is 3.9% higher than a year ago. Monthly price increases for each category rose from 0.2% in January.

HOW THE IRAN WAR COULD HIT AMERICANS’ GROCERY BILLS

Meats, poultry and fish prices increased 0.2% in February and are up 6.8% from a year ago. Beef and veal prices jumped 1.5% for the month and are up 14.4% on an annual basis. Egg prices continued to decline following an avian flu outbreak that impacted supply, with prices down 3.8% for the month and 42.1% from a year ago. The fruits and vegetables index increased 1.4% in February and is 2.7% higher than a year ago.

Energy prices were up 0.6% in February but are up just 0.5% from last year. Gasoline prices increased 0.8% in February but were down 5.6% compared with the same month a year ago. Utility gas service prices rose 3.1% in February and are up 10.9% from a year ago. Electricity prices declined 0.7% in February and are 4.8% higher than a year ago.

Housing prices rose 0.2% in February and are up 3% from last year, as the BLS noted the shelter index was the largest factor in the overall monthly CPI increase. Tenants’ and household insurance prices were little changed and up just 0.1% in February, but have risen 6.2% in the last year.

OIL SPIKE FADES AS MARKETS REASSESS IRAN WAR SUPPLY RISKS

Transportation services prices were up 0.2% for the month and 2.2% in the last year. Motor vehicle maintenance and repair prices increased 0.9% in February and were up 5.6% from last year. Auto insurance prices declined 0.3% for the month and are up 0.2% over the past year. Airline fares rose 1.4% in February and have increased 7.1% from a year ago.

Medical care services rose 0.6% in February and are up 4.1% over the past 12 months. Prices for personal care services were up 0.3% on a monthly basis and 4.9% on an annual basis.

Household furnishings increased 0.2% for the month and 3.9% in the last year. Furniture and bedding prices were flat for the month but have risen 4.2% from a year ago. Prices for appliances rose 3.1% in February but are up 2.9% from a year ago.

“Before the war in Iran sent gas prices spiking, inflation was starting to look a bit better. February’s inflation reading of 2.4% is one of the lowest in the past five years, but it won’t stay that way with gas prices surging above $3.50 a gallon,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

“A steady inflation reading would probably be a welcome data point on any other day, but against the current backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and surging oil prices, it may not carry as much weight in the markets – or with the Fed,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. 

“Despite the prospect of releasing oil reserves, continued uncertainty translates into continued upside risk for oil prices, and that translates into a Fed that will remain cautious about cutting interest rates,” Zentner added.

The Federal Reserve is set to hold its next monetary policy meeting next week on March 17-18, when it will announce its latest interest rate decision.

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The market’s expectations that the Fed will leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75% were reinforced by the February CPI inflation report.

The probability of the Fed holding rates steady rose to 99.3%, up from 98.3% a week ago and 93.6% last month, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

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Scienture Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCNX) on Wednesday formalized multiple commercial Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) agreements for Rezenopy (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray 10 mg.

Rezenopy, an opioid antagonist, received FDA approval in April 2024 for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose.

Scienture secured exclusive U.S. commercialization rights to Rezenopy from Summit Biosciences Inc. (a Kindeva subsidiary) in March 2025.

Expanded Institutional Footprint For Scienture

The agreement provides access to over 5000 healthcare institutions, including hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, representing potential penetration into roughly 60% of the U.S. institutional market.

The deal also establishes a broad footprint across first responders, EMS providers, and rehabilitation centers.

“These GPO agreements represent a significant step forward in the commercial expansion of Rezenopy,” commented Narasimhan Mani, President and co-CEO …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Envoy Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:COCH) on Wednesday said it has completed enrollment of its pivotal clinical trial for the investigational fully implanted Acclaim cochlear implant for hearing loss.

The company implanted the 56th and final patient.

Differentiated Ear Implant

The investigational Acclaim fully implanted cochlear implant leverages the natural ear, rather than an external microphone, to capture sound using Envoy Medical’s proprietary implanted piezoelectric sensor technology.

Unlike traditional cochlear implants, the Acclaim device does not require an externally worn component on or in the ear, representing a differentiated approach in the cochlear implant market.

Pivotal Trial Concludes Enrollment

Envoy Medical believes it is the first cochlear implant manufacturer to complete enrollment in a U.S. pivotal trial for a fully implanted cochlear implant, positioning the company at the forefront of this next generation of hearing technology.

“Completing enrollment of a pivotal clinical trial that is evaluating …

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Heavy-duty truck maker Commercial Vehicle Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CVGI) jumped 26.54% in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $2.05.

According to Benzinga Pro data, the stock of the Ohio-based company closed the regular session down 2.99% at $1.62. Year-to-date, shares are up about 7%.

Shares Surge Despite Earnings Miss

The stock surged in extended trading despite missing fourth-quarter earnings expectations.

Commercial Vehicle Group reported a fourth-quarter loss of $0.18 per share, missing analysts’ expectations of a $0.15 per share loss by 20%.

Revenue of the company totaled $154.8 million, down 5.2% from a year earlier due to softer demand in North America. However, the revenue still came in 5.24% above analysts’ estimate of $147.05 million.

Operating loss narrowed sharply to $1.8 million from $5.3 million year-over-year.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization surged 155.6% to $2.3 million.

Free cash …

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Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) overtook market heavyweights Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) in the latest cryptocurrency market rebound.

What’s Impacting DOGE?

Dogecoin surged over 4% in the past week, ranking among the top large-cap cryptocurrencies in this period. Bitcoin and Ethereum trailed DOGE, as shown below.

Cryptocurrency 7-Day Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 1:15 a.m. ET)
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)    +4.18% $0.09287
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)

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GEE Group Inc. (NYSE:JOB) rose 35.14% in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $0.30 following the company’s announcement that it had retained Roth Capital Partners LLC as its financial advisor.

Roth Capital to Evaluate Strategic Alternatives

Roth Capital, a California-based, full-service investment bank that provides strategic and financial advisory services to growth companies and their investors, will assist GEE Group’s Board of Directors and its Mergers and Acquisitions Committee in evaluating unsolicited expressions of interest already received from various parties, as well as other strategic alternatives available to the company, according to the company’s press release.

GEE Group cautioned that no assurance exists that the review …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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SCWorx Corp. (NASDAQ:WORX) rose 36.02% in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $0.17.

According to Benzinga Pro data, the stock closed regular trading at a 1.17% decline to $0.13.

Though no immediate reason has been identified for the stock movement, investors may still be reacting to the company’s announcement last week.

New Customer Agreement Signed

On March 4, SCWorx disclosed a new SaaS and data management agreement with a Southeastern healthcare provider whose integrated delivery network spans over 700 beds across multiple acute care hospitals and outpatient facilities.

Under the agreement, SCWorx will deliver data normalization, master data governance, legacy system migration support …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Gemini Space Station, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEMI) co-founders Tyler Winklevoss and his twin brother Cameron could dump millions worth of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on the market, on-chain analytics firm Arkham said on Tuesday.

Transaction Sparks Intrigue

In an X post, Arkham highlighted that a wallet tied to Winklevoss Capital, the family office of the Winklevoss twins, sent 1,750 BTC, worth $121 million as of this writing, to Gemini hot wallets, “presumably for selling.”

The wallet still holds 8,757 BTC, worth $751.86 million, with unrealized profit of $1.8 billion on the holdings.

Benzinga reached out to Gemini for a comment, but has yet to hear back.

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Domo Inc. (NASDAQ:DOMO) shares are trending on Tuesday night.

Shares of the software company jumped 39.27% in after-hours trading on Tuesday to $6.10 following the company’s fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings release.

EPS Beat Drives After-Hours Surge

Domo reported fourth-quarter earnings of 3 cents per share, well above the expected loss of 17 cents per share. This represents a beat of 117.65% over the estimate.

Revenue for the Utah-based company rose $855,000 from $78.77 million in the same period last year.

In the third quarter, Domo reported revenue of $79.4 million.

The company also beat earnings per share estimates in the previous two …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) shares are trending on Tuesday night.

GLW edged higher in after-hours trading on Tuesday, rising 0.68% to $137.15.

The multinational technology company, which leverages expertise in glass science, ceramics and optical physics, closed the regular session up 5.56% at $136.22.

What’s Driving The Rally?

The stock move came as investor interest spiked as AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) unveiled a sweeping $250 billion U.S. connectivity investment commitment. Corning is a major supplier to AT&T.

AT&T CEO John Stankey announced the long-term investment commitment, citing a “most conducive” regulatory environment for infrastructure spending.

“Today, we’re committing more than $250 billion to increase U.S. connectivity competitiveness and expand access to AT&T’s leading fiber and wireless networks,” Stankey said.

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong deemed Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) an “inflation-proof” global money on Tuesday, following the network’s milestone of mining its 20 millionth coin.

Over A Century To Go

Armstrong took note of the feat, pointing out that only 1 million BTC remain to be mined, which would take over 100 years.

“Decentralized, inflation-proof, global money,” Coinbase’s top executive heaped praise on the $1 trillion-plus asset.

Armstrong, one of Bitcoin’s most vocal advocates, predicted it would hit $1 million by 2030.

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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A federal appeals court on Monday officially finalized the termination of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, the Biden program that significantly lowered repayment rates for millions of student loan borrowers.

The judgment, issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, reverses a lower court’s February dismissal of a Republican-led legal challenge against the SAVE plan. That ruling was issued by Judge John Ross of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Originally introduced in 2023 under former President Joe Biden, the SAVE plan was hailed as the “most affordable repayment plan ever created” for federal student loan borrowers. The program was the first and only plan in history that prevented the balance from ever growing by subsidizing 100% of all unpaid monthly interest.

More than 7 million student loan borrowers reportedly remain enrolled in the SAVE plan as of the fourth quarter.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SERVES FINAL BLOW TO END BIDEN’S SAVE STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM

Student loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan have been urged to explore switching to a new repayment program.

Among alternative options, the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan sets monthly payments at 10% to 15% of discretionary income over a 20 to 25-year period.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO SPEED UP STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS UNDER NEW COURT DEAL

Under the Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed last year under President Donald Trump, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will become available starting July 1, 2026. RAP uses a sliding scale of 1% to 10% of a borrower’s total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and requires 30 years of payments for all participants.

Borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), a federal program that cancels remaining student debt after 10 years of qualifying public service, should verify their eligibility and file an application to reclaim credit for the months when their SAVE plan progress was effectively frozen.

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Monday’s decision has effectively resolved a years-long legal battle between Republican-led states and the federal government. The ruling comes after nearly 8 million borrowers paused payments under “litigation forbearance” following an earlier injunction, and it follows a brief period of confusion when a lower court attempted to dismiss the case after a settlement with the Trump administration.

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced America First Refining (AFR) is opening the first new U.S. oil refinery in nearly half a century in Brownsville, Texas.

Situated in a massive deep-water foreign trade zone, the project will leverage advanced infrastructure and strategic rail and sea connections to transport low-carbon fuels and other energy products.

“America is returning to REAL ENERGY DOMINANCE!” Trump wrote in an announcement on Truth Social. “THIS IS A HISTORIC $300 BILLION DOLLAR DEAL — THE BIGGEST IN U.S. HISTORY, A MASSIVE WIN for American Workers, Energy, and the GREAT People of South Texas!”

AFR said the refinery will generate thousands of construction and permanent jobs, while offering wages that exceed market averages. 

WILL TAPPING OIL RESERVES CURB SOARING GAS PRICES?

Partners in India and their largest privately held energy company, Reliance, made a “tremendous” investment in the project, according to Trump.

AFR also signed a binding 20-year offtake term sheet with the global supermajor.

The company plans to formally break ground on the new refinery in Q2 2026.

“It is because of our America First Agenda, streamlining Permits, and lowering Taxes, that have attracted Billions of Dollars in Deals coming back to our Nation,” Trump said. “A new Refinery at the Port of Brownsville, will fuel U.S. Markets, strengthen our National Security, boost American Energy production, deliver Billions of Dollars in Economic impact, and will be THE CLEANEST REFINERY IN THE WORLD.

“It will power Global Exports, and bring THOUSANDS of long overdue Jobs and Growth to a Region that deserves it,” the president continued. “This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like. AMERICA FIRST, ALWAYS!”

HOW THE IRAN WAR COULD HIT AMERICANS’ GROCERY BILLS

Under the newly signed agreement, 1.2 billion barrels of U.S. light shale oil will be purchased and processed, a value of $125 billion; AFR will produce 50 billion gallons of refined products, a value of $175 billion; and the U.S. trade imbalance will improve by $300 billion, according to AFR.

The refinery is specifically engineered to process American light shale oil (47° API), which is cleaner, more efficient and less costly to process than heavier imported crude. 

Unlike many existing U.S. refineries that depend on foreign oil, the facility will not require imported crude, which strengthens U.S. national and economic security.

Key advantages of the refinery include the capacity to process 60 million barrels per year of 100% U.S. light shale oil, a strategic location at a deep-water U.S. port, enabling distribution to domestic and international markets and the production of some of the cleanest gasoline, diesel and jet fuel refined at scale in the U.S.

AMID IRAN WAR, PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTS SHORT-TERM OIL PRICE SPIKE IS ‘SMALL PRICE TO PAY’ FOR PEACE

From 2014 to 2024, the U.S. exported nearly 10 billion barrels of crude, while still importing roughly 28 billion barrels, costing American consumers and workers more than $1.8 trillion. 

Once operational, the AFR refinery will redirect up to 60 million barrels of U.S. crude annually back into domestic refining, strengthening American industry, energy security and economic growth.

Beyond industrial growth, the company’s website notes it will drive community engagement through educational partnerships and apprenticeships designed to foster long-term social equity and economic stability in the area.

The executive management team collectively has more than a century of experience in the chemical and refining industries, having managed nearly $40 billion in complex capital projects. 

“This project represents a historic step forward for American energy production,” said John V. Calce, chairman and founder of America First Refining. “For the first time in half a century, the United States will build a new refinery designed specifically for American shale oil. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the resurgence of an America First energy policy, we are creating thousands of high-quality jobs while ensuring more of our nation’s energy resources are refined here at home in the cleanest, most efficient refinery on the planet.”

CEO Trey Griggs added the U.S. has a surplus of light shale oil but a shortage of refining capacity designed to process it. 

“By building this refinery at the Port of Brownsville, we’re unlocking a major expansion of American energy production while creating thousands of high-paying jobs and strengthening our domestic supply chain,” said Griggs, who previously held top leadership positions at major corporations, including Calpine and Goldman Sachs.

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Other key executives bring decades of experience from managing global operations, midstream logistics and large trading portfolios across industry heavyweights like BP, Shell Oil, ExxonMobil, Vitol and Sunoco Logistics Partners.

The strategic advisory board includes seasoned leaders who have served as CEOs and top executives for companies, including CVR Energy, YCI Methanol One and Royal Dutch Shell.

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Leading cryptocurrencies recovered on Tuesday, while stocks and commodities remained volatile amid the ongoing Middle East war.

Cryptocurrency 24-Hour Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) +1.59% $70,050.52
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)
               		 +1.16% $2,035.55
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                          +1.34% $1.38
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                          +0.85% $86.04
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)              +3.02% $0.09370

Crypto Market’s U-Turn

Bitcoin rebounded as high as $71,700, with trading volume surging 11% in the last 24 hours. 

Ethereum spiked to an intraday high of $2,087.99 before easing to $2,035 in the evening. XRP and Dogecoin were up in the green.

Shares of  Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) closed down 0.35% and 1.64%, respectively.

Nearly $300 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market over the past 24 hours, predominantly short positions, according to Coinglass data. Moreover, about $490 million in Bitcoin shorts risked liquidation if the apex cryptocurrency rises to $73,000.

Open interest in Bitcoin futures increased 2.58% in the last 24 hours. Both retail and whale derivatives traders on Binance were long BTC as of this writing.

Top Gainers (24 Hours) 

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Monday that it selected eight proposals for a new pilot program testing new advanced air mobility and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in 26 states.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA unveiled the pilot program, known as the Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP), which will center on eight projects in 26 states.

The futuristic aircraft can run on electric or hybrid engines and may carry people or cargo, taking off and landing in relatively confined spaces. They’re often referred to as “air taxis” or “flying cars” since they represent an alternative to traditional means of transportation.

Under the pilot program, several operational concepts will be tested, including urban air taxi services and regional passenger transportation, including with short takeoff and landing aircraft.

THE FLYING TAXI: A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

Additional concepts include cargo and logistics networks, emergency medical response operations, autonomous flight technologies and offshore and energy-sector transportation.

Among the projects selected for participation in the pilot program was one involving the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which will have four industry partners participate in testing 12 operational concepts across New England.

The Texas Department of Transportation will be involved with four industry partners in supporting regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and eventually Houston with air taxi networks expanding from each city.

ARCHER AVIATION TEAMS UP WITH UNITED AIRLINES TO MAKE AIR TAXIS A REALITY

Four states spanning the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains and the Plains of Oklahoma will test a range of next-generation aircraft and operational concepts under the leadership of the Utah Department of Transportation.

Florida’s Department of Transportation will work with industry partners to test three phases of operations focused on cargo delivery, passenger transportation, automation and medical response with public and private investment.

Louisiana will host operations to test cargo and personnel transportation capabilities to enable flights over the high seas into the Gulf of America and energy industry locations in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

A NEW WAY OF COMMUTING IS CLOSER TO TAKING OFF IN THE US

Other projects detailed in the announcement include those led by the transportation departments of North Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as the City of Albuquerque.

The program was created under an “Unleashing Drone Dominance” executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

“Thanks to President Trump, the future of aviation is here, and it’s going to dramatically improve how people and products move,” Duffy said. “Congratulations to the great American innovators behind each of these exciting pilot programs.

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“Working together, we will ensure America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine and so much more.”

Companies named as participants in the pilot program include Archer, BETA, Electra, Joby, Wisk, Ampaire, Elroy Air, Reliable Robotics and others.

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It wasn’t pixie dust in the air Tuesday when a backstage chemical reaction at Disneyland sent five cast members to hospitals.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon when materials being used by a contractor produced a reaction in a backstage area of the Anaheim, California, theme park, a Disneyland spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

According to the Anaheim Fire Department, firefighters responded to a report of an unknown odor in the backstage area near the Star Tours attraction in Tomorrowland around 12:30 p.m. 

The area was evaluated by first responders in hazmat suites. Aerial video from Sky Fox captured authorities responding to the theme park incident.

DISNEY LOSES $170 MILLION WITH ‘SNOW WHITE’ FLOP: REPORT

Several cast members were treated on site by paramedics and released, according to the park. Five others who experienced dizziness and shortness of breath were taken to nearby hospitals for further evaluation.

Their conditions were not immediately known.

Out of an abundance of caution, adjacent onstage areas were temporarily cleared of guests, the spokesperson said. Those areas were expected to reopen soon.

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Disneyland did not specify what materials were involved or the nature of the reaction. It was also unclear how many employees were in the area at the time.

The park remained open during the response.

Fire and emergency crews responded. The situation was contained to the backstage area, and no guests were reported to be injured, the park said.

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Oil prices briefly spiked to more than $100 a barrel on Monday amid the ongoing war in Iran, before falling sharply, underscoring how initial fears of supply disruptions eased as contingency plans emerged.

Before the outbreak of war with Iran, oil was trading in the range of $60 to $70 a barrel, but prices soared after the conflict began, with crude oil futures reaching upward of $115 a barrel on Monday – the highest level since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Early headlines suggested global benchmark Brent crude could hit $150 a barrel due to the supply shock, though trading data showed the spike was short-lived. Crude prices were down 8%, while West Texas Intermediate fell nearly 9% on Tuesday afternoon.

HOW THE IRAN WAR COULD HIT AMERICANS’ GROCERY BILLS

Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group and a FOX Business contributor, said in an interview that panic buying ensued after reports of tankers and refineries being hit.

“But I think as the day went on into the overnight, the market realized that maybe things aren’t that bad – the U.S. is having incredible military victories, President Trump is saying, ‘hey, you know what, the war is probably not going to be going on that long.’ And even some signals that the world doesn’t have to just sit and stand and take it,” he said.

Leaders from the G7 nations and the International Energy Association (IEA) discussed potential releases from strategic oil reserves to respond to a potential price shock or shortage in the market on Monday and Tuesday, concluding that they weren’t immediately planning to do so while stating they’re prepared to take “necessary measures” to support the oil market if needed.

WILL TAPPING OIL RESERVES CURB SOARING GAS PRICES?

“We have the possibility of a coordinated release from the G7 and the IEA of oil reserves that could cool prices,” Flynn noted. “There’s many things happening that usually happen when prices go up that can cool prices off very quickly.”

He added that Saudi Arabia built its east-to-west pipeline to avoid threats in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and also increased its capacity to 7 million barrels a day, with expectations it will operate at full capacity in days.

FED OFFICIALS CLOSELY MONITOR IRAN CONFLICT FOR POTENTIAL INFLATION IMPACT

Flynn added that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a short-term outlook on Tuesday that indicated the higher oil prices are likely to prompt U.S. producers to increase their output of crude oil in 2027. 

The EIA said that while “changes in oil prices take time to affect production – moving from investment decisions to rig deployment to well completion and first oil,” which is why it sees the current price rise having a bigger impact on production in 2027 and 2028.

AMID IRAN WAR, PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTS SHORT-TERM OIL PRICE SPIKE IS ‘SMALL PRICE TO PAY’ FOR PEACE

As the war in Iran continues, Flynn noted that if the conflict is able to remove the longstanding threat of Iran’s regime closing the Strait of Hormuz and fomenting conflict throughout the Middle East via proxies like the Houthis in Yemen, it could result in lower long-term oil prices with that risk mitigated.

“We’ve had an Iranian risk premium in oil since Jimmy Carter… it’s never quite gone away,” Flynn said, noting that insurance costs and the perceived risk have remained embedded in oil prices despite the market’s fluctuations over the years.

The latest price spike bears some similarities to what occurred during the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, though oil prices had gradually risen above $90 a barrel before the invasion itself prompted a spike above $115 a barrel. They remained around $100 a barrel into the summer before they gradually eased closer to $80 by the end of that year.

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Flynn said that conflict presented a different challenge than the latest oil spike amid the ongoing Iran war, explaining that the “situation there was different because it wasn’t a lack of supply that drove up prices – it was the desire to stop buying Russian oil that the market wasn’t prepared to replace, and a lot of that was bad energy policy, you know the green energy policies of Europe and Joe Biden.”

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When President Trump keeps telling the press that Operation Epic Fury is almost over, and based on the information you’re looking at several more weeks before American war goals have been met, people should listen to him. You don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s what a veteran legacy reporter says: “I’ve covered five presidents, I have never seen one other than Donald Trump who regularly takes phone calls from reporters. I’ve spoken to him over the phone three times since the military operation, the war against Iran started. In each of those cases, I simply called him and he answered.” There you go, Jonathan Karl, I know him well.

Ironically, while so many politicians and media people don’t listen to Mr. Trump, financial markets are listening quite carefully. For example, markets know that our war aims have nearly been met to prevent Iran from ever having nuclear weapons to destroy their long and short-term missiles and the launchers, and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

Those are the main goals. So, because of Mr. Trump’s credibility and the credibility of the mighty U.S.-Israel military and intelligence operations, oil prices have come down a lot and stock prices have rallied because they believe what the president is telling them.

I know he’s the rare president who has credibility, but he has credibility. When he posts on Truth Social that America will provide reinsurance for oil tankers and will likely provide assistance from our Navy, we should believe him. When he says there’s not going to be boots on the ground, with a very narrow possible exception of special ops, we should believe that too.

My pal Jason Trennert is probably right to say that it would be a mistake to confuse Mr. Trump for a neo-conservative. He is no George W. Bush, and there is no Donald Rumsfeld to persuade him that it’s in America’s interest to make Iran safe for democracy.

Well, Mr. Trump will get out of Iran as soon as the war aims are met. Now, Mr. Trennert is a little harsh on Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld, but the point is that Mr. Trump is more pragmatic and does not want forever wars. His goal is to end the forever war waged by Iran on America and on civilized peoples.

Mr. Trump can achieve this with military might in a relatively short period of time. That’s exactly what he’s doing. And the job is nearly complete, as he keeps telling us, but so many political geniuses don’t want to listen. Of course, there’s always a certain fog of war, information can change, unexpected events can certainly occur. Yet if you look carefully at what’s happened, the war is basically over. That’s what I think.

To quote the commander in chief himself: “I think the war is very complete. Iran has navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place.”

I think we’re really entering the mop-up stage. At this point, the way I see it, Mr. Trump is moving to win the peace after having crushed the Iranian enemy during the war. He is bending the arc of terrorism, he is changing the course of history, he is remaking the entire world’s balance of power, and oddly enough a lot of people don’t seem to understand it. They should, though, because he’s been telling it to them straight. He’s the most accessible, truth-talking president.

Listen to President Trump, he is telling the truth.

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/THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES/

VANCOUVER, BC, March 10, 2026 /CNW/ – Century Lithium Corp. (TSXV: LCE) (OTCQX: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z) (“Century Lithium” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce a brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$5 million (the “Offering“), consisting of 10,638,297 units of the Company (“Units“) at a price of $0.47 per Unit (the “Offering Price“). The Offering will be conducted on a commercially reasonable “best efforts” basis by A.G.P. Canada Investments ULC, acting as sole agent and bookrunner (the “Agent“) for the Offering and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acting as sole U.S. placement agent for the Offering.

Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (a “Share“) and one Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant“). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Share (a “Warrant Share“) at a price of $0.65 for a period of five (5) years from the closing of the Offering.

The Units will be offered by way of the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106“), as amended by Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 – Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the “Order“), ineach of the provinces of Canada (except Québec). Pursuant to NI 45-106 and the Order, the Units issued to Canadian residents under the Offering will not be subject to resale restrictions. The Company is relying on the exemptions …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Ford is recalling more than 83,000 vehicles in two separate actions due to issues that could increase the risk of a crash, federal regulators said.

The first recall affects 35,772 model year 2025-2026 Explorer SUVs and the dynamic bending light feature, according to the notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles have an incorrect headlamp control module software calibration that results in the right headlight turning in the opposite direction of a vehicle turn.

FORD RECALLS 1.74 MILLION VEHICLES DUE TO REARVIEW CAMERA BLACKOUTS, ISSUES

“When turning the steering wheel on a left curve, the driver’s side (LHS) bending light correctly follows the turn, while the passenger side (RHS) light bends away from the curve,” the recall report said. “Conversely, when turning on a right curve, the left-hand light follows the steering wheel and bends to the right, while the right-hand light bends inward towards the left.”

The report said a headlight that turns incorrectly could result in increased glare to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.

FORD IN DEEP WATER AFTER SWEEPING RECALLS HIT EVERY MODEL SINCE 2020 – WITH ONE EXCEPTION

Ford said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.

Updates to fix the headline control module software will be available over the air (OTA) or through dealerships, at no charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 23.

In a separate action, Ford is recalling 47,804 vehicles due to issues with the engine gas recirculation (EGR) valve that could lead to a loss of motive power, most likely at low speeds, which Ford said increases the risk of a crash.

FORD BUILDS ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPLORER FOR POPE LEO XIV

The recall affects certain model year 2025 Ranger, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles with 1.5-liter, 2.0-liter or 2.3-liter engines.

Ford said it is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to the condition.

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The automaker said a fix is still under development. Owners will be notified by mail once a remedy is available, and will need to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for the repair, free of charge.

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Investors are increasingly focused on not just how they invest their money but also how they can optimize their after-tax investment outcomes. Allspring Global Investments is dedicated to helping investors navigate the evolving tax and estate planning landscapes.

Concentrated stock positions can create unwanted risk in investors’ portfolios. Despite the risk, a combination of factors—including emotional biases and fear of built-in capital gains consequences—can make investors unwilling to diversify. By understanding the many tax-efficient diversification options available to them, investors may be more willing to take some of that concentration risk off the table.

Holly Swan, Allspring’s expert on taxes, recently wrote about 10 techniques for diversifying a concentrated position in a tax-efficient manner. She thinks about tax-management diversification strategies as being in one of these three buckets: avoid, defer, or offset.

Avoid:

Tax strategies may focus on reducing or eliminating capital gains exposure altogether. The first example of this is when investors may choose to hold certain highly appreciated assets so they can pass through a taxable estate and receive a step-up in basis.

Common lifetime strategies include borrowing against their portfolios to generate liquidity without selling and triggering taxes, gifting appreciated assets to lower‑income family members who are unlikely to owe capital gains tax, and using options strategies to manage risk or monetize positions without selling. Less common strategies available to founders and early-stage investors may allow eligible shareholders to exclude substantial capital gains on investments in qualified small businesses.

Defer:

Certain tax strategies may help investors defer when taxes are recognized, often smoothing the impact over time. One example is systematic diversification, where investors, such as public company executives, sell portions of a concentrated position gradually.

Investors may also use tax loss harvesting to capture losses that offset current or future gains. Other deferral tools include exchange funds, which allow investors to contribute concentrated stock in exchange for a diversified portfolio without triggering immediate taxes, and opportunity zones, which—beginning again in 2027—will allow taxpayers to reinvest capital gains in designated areas in exchange for up to five years of capital gains deferral and, in some cases, partial basis step-up (opportunity zone investments made today are only eligible for gain deferral until December 31, 2026).

Offset:

Offset strategies reduce tax liability by pairing gains with deductions or other tax‑favored actions. A primary example of this is charitable giving, where donating appreciated securities held for more than a year can allow investors to avoid capital gains recognition while receiving a deduction for the asset’s fair market value, subject to income limits.

Investors have many options for tax-efficient diversification, each of which can be a powerful step in moving away from a concentrated position that may be adding unnecessary risk to portfolios. Allspring Global Investments can offer insights into this and more as investors prepare for their financial future.

ALL-01282026-ixng4s4a

Allspring Global Investments does not provide accounting, legal, or tax advice or investment recommendations. Any tax or legal information in this brochure is merely a summary of our understanding and interpretations of some of the current income tax regulations and is not exhaustive. Investors should consult their tax advisor or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation.

Allspring does not offer options. Options involve significant risks and are not suitable for all investors.

Diversification does not ensure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses.

This material is provided for informational purposes only. This content and the information within do not constitute an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction where or to any person to whom it would be unauthorized or unlawful to do so and should not be considered investment advice, an investment recommendation, or investment research in any jurisdiction.

INVESTMENT RISKS: All investments contain risk. Your capital may be at risk. The value, price, or income of investments or financial instruments can fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed.

You may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is not a guarantee or reliable indicator of future results.

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Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) shares sold at a discount in Tuesday’s extended trading after the company released its fourth-quarter earnings report, missing estimates on the top and bottom lines.

Here’s a look at the key figures from the report.

The Details: Groupon reported quarterly earnings of 17 cents per share, which was less than the 21 cents per share estimate, according to Benzinga Pro.

Quarterly revenue of $132.71 million missed …

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Upstart Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UPST) shares are moving higher in Tuesday’s after-hours session after the company announced plans to apply for a national bank charter.

Upstart To Apply For National Bank Charter

After the market close on Tuesday, Upstart said it plans to submit an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish an insured national bank. The company also plans to apply for Federal Reserve approval, …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EVLV) shares dipped in Tuesday’s extended trading after the company released a mixed fourth-quarter earnings report.

Here’s a look at the details in the report. 

The Details: Evolv Technologies reported quarterly losses of three cents per share, which missed the consensus estimate for a loss of two cents.

Quarterly revenue came in at $38.5 million, which beat the Street estimate of $36.44 …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) rally to around $70,000 over the past two weeks has outperformed traditional assets like gold (+1.6%) and the S&P 500 (-0.2%) as investors rotate capital back into crypto.

BTC Rebound Beats Traditional Markets

Bitcoin has jumped roughly 13% in two weeks, climbing above $71,000 and outperforming both the S&P 500 and gold.

Data from Santiment shows Bitcoin has gained ground since Feb. 24, when all three assets experienced a pullback.

The rebound marks a shift after crypto lagged traditional markets for several months following its Oct. 5, 2025, all-time high.

Analysts say the move partly reflects mean reversion, with capital …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) shares fell in Tuesday’s extended trading after the company released its third-quarter earnings report, missing estimates on the top and bottom lines.

Here’s a look at the key figures from the quarter. 

The Details: AeroVironment reported quarterly earnings of 64 cents per share, which missed the consensus estimate of 69 cents, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Quarterly revenue of $408.05 million missed the Street estimate of $475.63 million by 14.21%.

Bookings reached $2.1 billion and the book-to-bill ratio was 1.6 …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 Tuesday after the market close. Here’s a rundown of the software giant’s report.

Oracle Tops Estimates In Q3

Oracle posted third-quarter revenue of $17.19 billion, beating analyst estimates of $16.91 billion, according to Benzinga Pro. Adjusted earnings grew 21% year-over-year to $1.79 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.71 per share.

Total revenue was up 22% on a year-over-year basis as cloud revenue climbed 44% and software revenue rose by 3%. Here’s a breakdown of revenue by segment:

  • Cloud: $8.9 billion, up 44%
  • Cloud Infrastructure: $4.9 billion, up 84%
  • Cloud Database: up 35%
  • Cloud Application: $4 billion, up 13%
  • Fusion Cloud ERP: $1.1 billion, up 17%
  • NetSuite Cloud ERP: $1.1 billion, up 14%

Remaining performance obligations …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Bitcoin held near $70,000 on Tuesday as sentiment and ETF inflows improved following signals that tensions with Iran could ease.

Cryptocurrency Ticker Price
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $70,040.68
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) $2,034.27
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) $86.14
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) $1.38
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) $0.09486
Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) $0.055688

Notable Statistics:

  • Coinglass data shows 99,391 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $386.23 million.
  • SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $167 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Monday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $51.3 million.
  • In the past 24 hours, top gainers include Render, Kaia and Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

Notable Developments:

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On Monday, Bitcoin minted its 20 millionth coin, meaning that more than 95% of all coins have now been mined, leaving the total untapped supply at fewer than one million. The last coin is expected to be discovered in approximately 114 years.  

This milestone reinforces how economics of Bitcoin are different from traditional currency systems like the dollar, which allow governments to always print more money. This “hard money” aspect of Bitcoin has been one of its primary appeals since the first batch of 50 coins was first minted 17 years ago.

“Having only one million Bitcoin left to be mined is a powerful reminder of something unique: this is the first monetary system in history with a fully predictable policy written in code,” said Raphael Zagury, CEO of the Bitcoin mining company Elektron Energy. 

By 2035, 99% of Bitcoin’s total supply will be mined, but it will take a little over 100 years to mint what is left. This timeline is due to a concept called halving, which means that about every four years, miners are rewarded with half as much Bitcoin. 

Today, miners receive 3.125 Bitcoin, whereas prior to 2024 they received more than 6 Bitcoin. When Satoshi Nakamoto created the original cryptocurrency in 2009, miners would receive 50 Bitcoin as a reward. The system is intended to make the original cryptocurrency more scarce, at a predictable rate, over time. When Bitcoin runs out in 2140, miners will be compensated solely through transaction fees. 

The original cryptocurrency is currently priced at about $71,000, according to Binance. While this is down about 46% since its all-time high in October, Bitcoin has grown about 16,000% in the past ten years, as its price in March of 2016 was a measly $430. 

Zagury, the CEO of the Bitcoin mining company, shared his short-term and long-term views on the original cryptocurrency. “I don’t think the milestone alone moves price in the short term. Liquidity and macro still dominate,” he said. “But long term, scarcity plus predictable policy is a powerful combination. Over time, markets tend to reward systems people can trust.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has been outperforming equities during the Iran conflict as ETF managers declared the “crypto winter” is bottoming.

The Outperformance During Iran Conflict

Bitcoin has risen 10% while equities are down during the Iran conflict, demonstrating diversification benefits. 

“So far in this conflict, actually, if you look at Bitcoin, it’s up a little bit and equities are down,” Hyman said on CNBC’s ‘ETF Edge’. 

“The diversifying piece, I think, still stays intact as an important theme here,” he added.

Hyman challenged the narrative that cryptocurrencies are simply risk assets. 

His research shows Bitcoin, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) have minimal correlation with equities and equally low correlation with gold and silver. 

This means crypto moves independently from both traditional risk assets and safe havens, supporting the diversification case even …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Markus Infanger, SVP of RippleX, on Tuesday said XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is evolving beyond payments as institutional interest grows, with crypto ETFs emerging as a potential bridge between traditional finance and blockchain markets.

RippleX Outlines Three Strategic Priorities

In an interview with The Block, Infanger outlined the company is focusing on three major priorities for 2026.

First, the firm plans to expand institutional decentralized finance (DeFi) on the XRP Ledger.

Tokenized real-world assets on the network have already grown to about $2 billion.

Ripple is developing infrastructure including lending protocols, atomic swaps, privacy features and programmable escrow to support use cases such as collateral mobility, stablecoin payments and institutional finance.

Second, Ripple aims to strengthen the …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard declared Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is “going to die” on the PBD Podcast, while predicting silver will reach “thousands of dollars” as the gold-to-silver ratio collapses from 80:1 toward 13:1.

The ‘Bitcoin Is Going To Die’ Argument

Howard cited Bitcoin’s continued dependence on fiat currency as a fatal flaw. 

“Bitcoin is still based on fiat,” Howard said, arguing that as the U.S. dollar weakens, any asset tethered to its value framework remains exposed.

“Nobody wants their money in something that can be wiped out with a push of a button somewhere,” Howard said. 

He holds less than 1% of his portfolio in Bitcoin and frames that as a ceiling, not a floor.

Howard’s framework positions dollar collapse leading to metals surge and crypto irrelevance. 

This puts him squarely against the Bitcoin-as-digital-gold crowd at a moment when both assets compete for the same …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) surged 5% on Tuesday, following Zcash Open Development Lab’s announcement of over $25 million in seed funding from Paradigm, a16z crypto, Winklevoss Capital, and Coinbase Ventures.

The $25M ZODL Funding Round

ZODL was founded by Josh Swihart, former CEO of Electric Coin Company. Under his leadership, ECC launched the flagship Zcash wallet Zodl, setting a new standard for Zcash usability. 

Since its launch in 2024, the app drove growth in the Zcash shielded pool by over 400% and facilitated more than $600 million in ZEC swaps since October 2025.

Earlier this year, the entire ECC team including the product team behind the wallet joined ZODL to continue building the primary user interface for Zcash. 

The work centers on developing Zodl as an open, self-custodial private financial platform designed to expand ecosystem …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Oil giant ExxonMobil announced it intends to drop its New Jersey corporate registration and redomicile in Texas, citing the Lone Star State’s business-friendly legal environment and after years of shareholder and climate-related legal battles.

The company on Tuesday said its board of directors unanimously recommended shareholders approve changing the company’s legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas, saying aligning ExxonMobil’s legal home with where its leadership and core operations have been based since 1989 will benefit shareholders.

“Over the past several years, Texas has made a noticeable effort to embrace the business community. In doing so, it has created a policy and regulatory environment that can allow the company to maximize shareholder value,” Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

TRUMP MAY KEEP EXXONMOBIL OUT OF VENEZUELA AFTER CEO COMMENTS: ‘I DIDN’T LIKE THEIR RESPONSE’

“Aligning our legal home with our operating home, in a state that understands our business and has a stake in the company’s success, is important,” Woods said.

If approved by shareholders, Exxon would become the latest high-profile company — including SpaceX, Tesla and Coinbase — to register in Texas as the state markets itself as a corporate-friendly alternative to traditional incorporation hubs.

In recommending the move, Exxon said its board considered Texas’ legal and regulatory environment, including its modernized business statutes and the Texas Business Court, which is designed to resolve complex disputes efficiently. When corporate decisions are challenged, Texas courts are required to apply clear, statute-based standards, the company said.

The move comes after years of high-profile clashes with activist investors and climate-focused shareholder campaigns.

New Jersey officials sued Exxon, Chevron and other fossil-fuel companies in 2022, alleging they contributed to climate change and forced the state to spend billions cleaning up after major natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Ida. The suit was dismissed last year.

Exxon has also faced years of high-profile clashes with activist investors and climate-focused shareholder campaigns.

EXXON TO SLASH THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN MAJOR CORPORATE OVERHAUL AND COMPREHENSIVE RESTRUCTURING PLAN

In 2021, activist hedge fund Engine No. 1 won three seats on Exxon’s board in a proxy fight centered on the company’s climate strategy. Exxon later sued activist investors in 2024 over climate-related shareholder proposals, arguing they were attempting to abuse SEC rules governing proxy resolutions. The company has repeatedly pushed back against shareholder proposals seeking stricter climate disclosures, emissions targets and changes to its long-term fossil fuel strategy.

Exxon said the proposed redomiciliation will not affect business operations, management, strategy, assets or employee locations.

Around 30% of ExxonMobil’s global employees are located in Texas, while approximately 75% of its U.S. workforce is based there.

ExxonMobil’s legal domicile change will also not reduce shareholder rights, the company said, noting that the board determined that shareholder rights under Texas law are largely comparable to those under New Jersey law, and in some areas, stronger.

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ExxonMobil said it has no plans to adopt elective provisions under Texas law that would diminish shareholder rights currently in place.

ExxonMobil’s connection to New Jersey is largely historical, dating back to the 1882 incorporation of Standard Oil of New Jersey. The company’s board has not held a meeting in New Jersey for more than 40 years.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Ripple’s senior executive Recce Merrick says the company has spent years preparing for the surge in stablecoin usage as blockchain-based payments accelerate worldwide.

Ripple’s RLUSD Is The Answer

In a Mar. 10 post on X, Merrick said the company’s response is Ripple USD (CRYPTO: RLUSD), a dollar-backed stablecoin designed as an enterprise-grade product for institutional users entering the market.

Stablecoins processed about $33 trillion in transactions in 2025, roughly double the annual volume handled by Visa, highlighting the growing role of blockchain-based payments.

According to Merrick, stablecoin transaction volume increased 72% year over year in 2025, while active users surged 146% across 106 countries.

The total stablecoin market …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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It touts the cleanest restrooms in America and a brisket sandwich that built a cult following, but Buc-ee’s received the worst possible grade from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

The BBB recently gave the Texas-based convenience store brand an “F” rating, citing a failure to respond to nearly 90 complaints filed against the business. The BBB assigns a rating between A+ and F, and although customer reviews do not impact the final grade, the company’s interaction and responsiveness to complaints are considered.

According to the BBB’s website, many recent complaints cite overpriced items, various product issues, poor or rude customer service, and the inability to return certain items.

BUC-EE’S PLANS TO OPEN THE WORLD’S LARGEST CONVENIENCE STORE

“Bought the chicken, bacon, avocado ranch wrap, it was so disgusting that I had to throw it out the window,” a complaint from Feb. 4 to the BBB reads. “There was no bacon, or ranch, and only a few pieces of chicken… [asked] my husband if he wanted some and he tried it too, and said it was the worst thing he’s ever ate. It tasted like the most flavorless mush, and on top of it it was $9.49.”

“Buc-cee’s has TERRIBLE customer service,” a January complaint says, referencing a lost or stolen gift card. “They have no phone number for you to call, only email. I have filled out their form with all of the information multiple times and have yet to hear back from them. I just want my gift card that I paid for and want them to treat their customers better.”

Buc-ee’s did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Despite the recent failing grade, Buc-ee’s has not dampened its expansion momentum. The company currently has 54 U.S. locations across 11 states, with plans to expand into Ohio, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Buc-ee’s large-format stores span tens of thousands of square feet, featuring 120 gas pumps on average and 700 to 1,000 parking spaces. Signature items like Beaver Nuggets and “fresh brisket on the board” have become regular road trip staples.

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The company ranked No. 5 in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index for convenience stores, beating out major brands like Shell and ExxonMobil. In late 2025, Buc-ee’s earned America’s No. 1 quick-service restaurant spot in dunnhumby rankings, outperforming fast-food giants like In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A for customer preference.

The chain has also gained notoriety for its transparency in wages – starting pay can range from $16 to $20 per hour and full-time managers may earn $100,000 to $225,000, according to large hiring signs often posted at store entrances. Employee benefits include 401(k) plans with 100% company matching and three weeks of paid time off.

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Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) is trading higher Tuesday morning after Elon Musk confirmed that X Money, the digital payments platform for X, is set to begin early public access next month. Here’s what investors need to know.

Musk’s X Money Launch Revives Dogecoin Payment Speculation

Although the first phase of the rollout will focus on traditional fiat payments in U.S. dollars, the announcement revived speculation that Dogecoin could eventually be added as a payment option on the platform.

The renewed interest reflects Dogecoin’s long association with Musk, who has repeatedly referred to the token as the “people’s crypto.” Any development tied to X’s payments …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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The Panama Canal administrator touted the canal’s logistical capabilities and plans to improve supply chain readiness as the Strait of Hormuz reaches a near standstill due to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. 

Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, the authority administrator for the Panama Canal, sat down during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital and noted the canal’s anticipated improvements as the world’s busiest commercial shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, has seen little to no traffic over the past few days. 

“We have been through the years a major channel to move LNG from the U.S. to Asia,” Morales told Fox News Digital. “Qatar usually supplies Asia, and after the Ukraine war, most of the American LNG has gone to Europe to replace the Russian LNG.”

“What we see is that probably prices are going to go up for LNG, which means that the current cost of the inventory on the vessel is going to increase,” he continued. “Fuel prices are going to go up.”

HEGSETH ONCE WARNED AGAINST ENDLESS WARS. NOW HE’S LEADING TRUMP’S STRIKE-FIRST DOCTRINE

Morales predicts that transit will increase in the Panama Canal as restraints in the Strait of Hormuz have continued to hold.

“The Panama Canal should get one or two transits a day, which is, in the old days, we had about three transits per day,” Morales added. “So it’s gonna come up a little bit and moving from the East Coast of the United States to Asia.”

The Strait of Hormuz normally facilitates the transit of roughly 20–21 million barrels of oil per day. Since last Friday, only four cargo ships have successfully traveled through the strait, and one of those ships was carrying corn.

TRUMP ADMIN TURNS VENEZUELA INTO MAJOR US OIL SUPPLIER AS GLOBAL SHIPPING CRISIS EASES

By comparison, approximately 2.3 million barrels move through the Panama Canal each day. 

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and a quarter of the world’s total seaborne oil trade travels through the Strait of Hormuz.

As for the Panama Canal, the administrator said that they have plenty of water and a maximum draft that will allow more vessels to pass through.

THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT

The administrator also addressed the threat of tariffs that has shocked global trade with the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office, noting an increase in traffic due to tariff threats. 

“Over the last 12 months, it increased volumes through the Panama Canal because people were anticipating tariffs, and they tried to front load the cargoes, especially for the later part of the year for Christmas demand in the states,” the administrator told Fox News Digital. “Now what we have is that essentially with the Lunar Year, they clear up all the inventories in Asia, so some of that has been moved into final destinations.”

President Donald Trump signaled his willingness to reopen the strait while speaking with reporters on Monday, pointing to Chinese reliance on the route, saying he wants to keep the passageway open.

IRANIAN DRONE STRIKES SHUT DOWN QATAR LNG PRODUCTION FACILITIES, AS ENERGY PRICES SURGE

“We’re really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the Straits,” Trump said. “We have a good relationship with China. It’s my honor to do it.”

“I mean, we’re doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China,” Trump added. “They get a lot of their oil through the straits.”

The president posted to Truth Social on Monday night that the U.S. would retaliate “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” against Iran should they take any actions that stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait,” Trump posted. 

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Circle Internet Group (NASDAQ:CRCL) surged 9.74% to $111.84 Monday as Bernstein reiterated its $190 price target, implying 70% upside from current levels as stablecoin adoption accelerates for payments and AI agents.

The Stablecoin Adoption Thesis

Bernstein analysts highlighted that stablecoins are increasingly diverging from the broader crypto market cycle. 

USDC supply stands at about $78 billion in circulation, reaching new highs despite Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) trading significantly below its previous peak.

Tether’s (CRYPTO: USDT) supply stands at about $184 billion.

Total stablecoin transaction volume hit $55 trillion in 2025, up 98% year-over-year.

The adjusted figure stripping out bots and high-frequency trading reached $11 trillion, growing 91%. Payment activity alone totaled roughly $375 billion in 2025, up 76% from the previous year.

Consumer-to-business payments surged 131%, driven by increasing payment …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly grounded all JetBlue flights early Tuesday morning at the airline’s request, according to an advisory posted by the agency’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

The nationwide ground stop, which applied to all destinations and facilities, was in effect from 12:35 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. ET, the FAA advisory shows.

“Operations are normal after JetBlue asked the FAA to pause flights nationwide overnight because of an internal IT issue,” the FAA said in a statement.

JetBlue told FOX Business in a statement: “A brief system outage has been resolved and we have resumed operations.”

‘SECURITY-RELATED SITUATION’ GROUNDS FLIGHT TO VACATION HOT SPOT, PASSENGERS CONFINED FOR HOURS

Ground stops temporarily prevent flights from departing while an issue is addressed, though aircraft already in the air are typically allowed to continue to their destinations. 

The brief grounding comes as airlines have grappled with technology-related disruptions in recent years.

JETBLUE FLIGHT RETURNS TO NEWARK AFTER ENGINE FAILURE, SMOKE PROMPTS EVACUATION

In October, Alaska Airlines issued a systemwide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights after a failure at its primary data center triggered a significant IT outage, leading to hundreds of cancellations over two days and disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of passengers.

The carrier later said it was bringing in outside technical experts to strengthen its systems and “diagnose our entire IT infrastructure to ensure we are as resilient as we need to be. ”

In June, American Airlines experienced a “technology issue” that disrupted operations and led to widespread delays.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT DIVERTED AFTER PASSENGER SCARE AS SECURITY INCIDENTS RATTLE US AIRPORTS

Some travelers reported lengthy wait times on the tarmac as the carrier worked to resolve the problem.

The airline said a connectivity issue had affected certain systems but that it worked with partners to restore the impacted applications and return operations to normal.

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Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR) has filed a countersuit against rival Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), alleging the latter’s ties to China amid a theft of trade secrets lawsuit filed last November.

Archer Accuses Joby Of Fraud

The countersuit, filed in California, accused Joby of hiding and then leveraging its ties to China to gain an advantage in the eVTOL sector, Reuters reported on Monday.

Archer has also accused Joby of defrauding the U.S. government and receiving grants from the Chinese government. The countersuit claims that Joby purposefully misrepresented “thousands of pounds of Chinese-origin aircraft materials as ​consumer goods,” to “evade U.S. tariffs and foreign-influence ⁠oversight.”

Archer Aviation and Joby didn’t …

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As the Iran conflict unfolds, Wall Street remains cautiously optimistic that it could end within about a month, aligning with President Donald Trump‘s projected timeline for resolving the crisis, said J.P. Morgan.

According to the bank, Wall Street is currently banking on the “TACO” trade, an acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out”. This strategy has proven successful in the past, particularly with Trump’s often-reversed aggressive foreign policy on tariffs. Some investors see the Iran conflict as a potential “buy-the-dip” opportunity, expecting asset prices to rebound once the conflict ends.

Jacob Manoukian, U.S. head of investment strategy for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Wealth Management, however, warns that betting on the TACO trade with Iran could be riskier than previous instances. Manoukian told Fortune over the weekend that the main risk scenario Wall Street is trying to assess is that “global events have started,” but it remains unclear “where they’re going” or how they can be controlled.

JPMorgan Backs Infrastructure Assets

While J.P. Morgan anticipates the …

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U.S. stock futures rose on Tuesday following Monday’s positive close. Futures of the major benchmark indices were higher amid the ongoing Iran-U.S. conflict.

Monday’s rebound came as President Donald Trump said that the U.S. campaign against Iran could be nearing its endpoint, saying Tehran’s military capacity has been heavily degraded.

The most dramatic action occurred in the options market. By 2:10 p.m. ET, oil prices were near $120 a barrel, and the S&P 500 was down over 2%. However, by 3:30 p.m. ET, the $675 strike SPY call options jumped 24,650% from $0.02 per contract to $4.95, in roughly 80 minutes.

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.10%, and the two-year bond was at 3.54%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 97.4% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.

Index Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones 0.38%
S&P 500 0.40%
Nasdaq 100 0.55%
Russell 2000 0.42%

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were higher in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.47% at $681.44, while the QQQ advanced 0.60% to $611.40.

Stocks In Focus

Lumentum And Coherent

  • Shares of Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) and Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR)rose 4.47% and 4.03%, respectively, following the announcement on Friday that the companies would be added to the S&P 500 later this month. This follows Nvidia Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:NVDA) $2 billion investments in both companies.
  • LITE maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor value ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings for LITE.

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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is raising alarms over the impact of artificial intelligence on American workers and unveiled a policy roadmap aimed at protecting jobs and ensuring corporations contribute fairly.

AI Job Cuts Raise Concern

On Monday, in a post on X, Kelly wrote, “Big companies are signaling they’ll use AI to shrink their workforce—and too many Americans are already feeling the impact.”

He added, “My AI for America roadmap has solutions to get big corporations to pay their for share and put workers first.”

The plan, which Kelly calls the “AI for America” roadmap, is intended to guide how corporations implement AI while minimizing job losses and supporting worker retraining.

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood is projecting a massive shift in global markets, predicting that post-war Iran and a transition into the “electric vehicle realm” will send oil prices plunging as geopolitical tensions ease.

The ‘Coiled Spring’ Of The Middle East

In her latest “In The Know” episode, Wood highlighted a 90% drop in Iranian missile and drone activity, suggesting the regime has been significantly diminished. This cooling of conflagration aligns with President Donald Trump‘s recent characterization of the conflict as “very complete.”

Wood views Iran’s young, well-educated population as a “coiled spring” ready to explode into the global tech economy once freed from repressive constraints.

“You’ve got a coiled spring in terms of a population just really wanting to join this very exciting world, especially the world of technology and innovation,” Wood stated.

Tesla And The $50 Oil Forecast

Central to Wood’s thesis is the collapse of traditional energy dominance. She argues that the Middle East is aggressively diversifying because leaders recognize the impending dominance of autonomous mobility.

Wood predicts oil, currently near $90, could drop “below $50 per barrel, and perhaps much lower over the next 5 …

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ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM) will release its first quarter earnings before the opening bell on Tuesday, March 10.

Analysts expect the New York-based company to report earnings of 87 cents per share. That’s down from 87 cents per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for ABM’s quarterly revenue is $2.19 billion (it reported $2.11 billion last year), according to Benzinga Pro.

On March 4, ABM announced a new multi-year partnership with the Philadelphia Phillies to deliver fully integrated facility engineering, maintenance and cleaning solutions at Citizens Bank Park.

Shares of ABM fell 1.3% to close at $43.28 on Monday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating …

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Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives has issued a ringing endorsement for the tech sector‘s heavyweights, suggesting that the current market landscape offers a generational buying opportunity.

The ‘Garage Sale’ Moment

In a conversation with Schwab Network, Ives characterized the recent trading levels of industry titans as an anomaly, specifically highlighting two major players in the artificial intelligence race.

He asserted that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) are selling at “garage sale prices,” arguing that the market has yet to fully price in the explosive growth of AI integration across enterprise software.

According to Ives, the skepticism surrounding the immediate return on investment (ROI) of AI is misplaced. He believes the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is not a distant prospect but a current reality that is beginning to reflect in corporate balance sheets.

AI Monetization Takes Center Stage

The shift from speculative interest to tangible revenue is the primary driver behind this bullish outlook.

Ives notes that the industry is moving past the “hype phase” into a …

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The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Monday.

U.S. stocks settled higher on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining more than 300 points during the session.

On Monday, President Donald Trump told CBS News in a phone interview that the U.S. campaign against Iran could be nearing its endpoint, saying Tehran’s military capacity has been heavily degraded.

Stocks recorded losses last week, with the S&P 500 losing 2% and the 30-stock Dow dropping 3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also declined 1.2% during the week.

In earnings, shares of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) gained around 5% on Monday after the company released results for the fourth …

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Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized on Monday the norm of overeating to “finish the food.”

Buterin’s Take On Food

In an X post, Buterin said that “it’s not healthy” to continue eating once you’re full. He added that those who eat to “finish the food” are treating their mouth as a “garbage can.”

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The S&P 500 made a dramatic comeback on Monday, rising 0.83% to close at 6,795.99 after President Donald Trump said the war against Iran was “very complete, pretty much,” sending the index surging from losses of as much as 1.5% earlier in the session.

The Polygon-based (CRYPTO: POL) Polymarket crowd is cautiously split heading into Tuesday. The March 10 market sits at 49% “Down,” 51% “Up,” with $40,712 in early trading volume placed against whether the S&P will open up or down.

Why That Number Matters

Monday’s close masks how bad the morning was. The VIX Index, Wall Street’s Fear Gauge, also spiked above 30 for the first time since last April’s tariff-fueled leap.

Trump’s comments triggered an immediate reversal in oil markets. WTI crude, which had surged past …

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Here are the latest developments in the U.S.–Israel–Iran war on Tuesday at 3 AM ET, as the conflict enters its eleventh day.

On Monday, President Donald Trump said the war against Iran is “pretty much” complete and could end soon, claiming Tehran’s military and missile capabilities have been severely weakened. However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded that it, not Washington, will decide when the war ends.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian said that at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on February 28, reported Al Jazeera.

Australia Deploys Jets & Missiles To Gulf

Australia will support Gulf countries and protect its citizens against Iranian threats, with PM Anthony Albanese announcing the deployment of a long-range E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and personnel for four weeks to secure regional airspace. Additionally, advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles will be sent to the UAE after a call with its …

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With U.S. stock futures trading lower this morning on Tuesday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:

  • Wall Street expects United Natural Foods Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) to report quarterly earnings at 51 cents per share on revenue of $8.11 billion before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. United Natural Foods shares fell 0.2% to $38.75 in after-hours trading.
  • Caseys General Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) reported mixed results for its second quarter after the closing bell on Monday. The company posted quarterly earnings of $3.49 per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $2.99 per share. The …

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The S&P 500 and the ETF tracking it, State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY), experienced a historic bout of intraday volatility on Monday as a sudden military victory claim from President Donald Trump triggered a massive short-term rally, even as the broader market breached a technical level that historically precedes a bear market.

A Historic Options Squeeze

The most dramatic action occurred in the options market. By 2:10 p.m. ET, with oil prices near $120 a barrel and the S&P 500 down over 2%, the $675 strike SPY call options had withered to just $0.02 per contract.

However, the market inverted instantly at 3:20 p.m. ET following comments from the White House. By 3:30 p.m. ET, those same calls were trading at $4.95—a staggering surge of 24,650% in roughly 80 minutes.

According to data from The Kobeissi Letter, a $1,000 investment at the afternoon low would have grown to $247,500 by the close.

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Popular NFT brand Pudgy Penguins announced the launch of a free-to-play browser-based game, ‘Pudgy World’, on Monday, its latest effort to expand its universe and audience reach.

This Penguin Is Not Alone

The game, touted as one of the “most technically advanced” browser-based games, allows players to explore 12 unique “towns” and features Pudgy Penguins’s mascot PENGU. The game requires no downloads and is accessible from anywhere.

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President Donald Trump may have signaled that the war in Iran is almost over, but cryptocurrency bettors don’t see an official declaration of the end of hostilities before this month.

When Will Trump Officially Announce The War Over?

Polymarket odds that Trump or U.S. officials will formally declare the end of the military campaign by March 31 have jumped to 44%, up from just 11% the previous day. The odds that a declaration comes by March 15 rose marginally to 11%.

Meanwhile, punters see a 73% chance that the fighting will officially end by April 30, climbing to 82% for a resolution by June 30.

Some other Polymarket contracts were also impacted. The odds that a third country, other than the U.S. and Israel, strikes Iran by the end of the month …

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The Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced a recall for clams and raw oysters over concerns that they may be contaminated with norovirus, a contagious infection commonly known as the stomach flu.

The recall affects Manila clams harvested by Lummi Indian Business Council that were distributed to restaurants and food retailers in nine states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington. The FDA said the clams may have been distributed to other states as well.

The oysters were harvested by Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and distributed in Washington state.

Both food items were harvested between February 13 and March 3 in Drayton Harbor, Washington.

FRITO-LAY RECALLS MISS VICKIE’S CHIPS OVER POTENTIALLY ‘LIFE THREATENING’ ALLERGEN RISK

The Washington State Department of Health notified the FDA of the recall on Wednesday.

The FDA urged restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell the clams or oysters and for consumers not to eat the foods.

The agency said restaurants and retailers “should dispose of any products by throwing them in the garbage or contacting their distributor to arrange for destruction.”

MAJOR FROZEN FOOD RECALL EXPANDS TO 37M POUNDS OF TRADER JOE’S, KROGER PRODUCTS OVER GLASS CONCERNS

“Restaurants and retailers should also be aware that shellfish may be a source of pathogens and should control the potential for cross-contamination of food processing equipment and the food processing environment,” the alert added.

The FDA warned that food containing norovirus may “look, smell and taste normal” but can cause serious illness if eaten. 

Consumers of these products who are experiencing symptoms of illness are urged to contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local health department.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body ache. A person typically develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to Norovirus and one to three days to recover.

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People of all ages can become infected with Norovirus, although people who are immunocompromised can potentially suffer from severe illness, the FDA said.

The FDA said it is awaiting further information on distribution of the clams and oysters and will continue to monitor the investigation.

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Leading cryptocurrencies lifted alongside stocks on Monday after President Donald Trump said that the U.S. campaign against Iran could be nearing its end.

Cryptocurrency 24-Hour Gains +/- Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) +3.70% $68,973.71
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH)
               		 +3.05% $2,012.41
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP)                          +1.55% $1.36
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)                          +3.39% $85.43
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE)              +1.28% $0.09104

Crypto Market Lifts

Bitcoin rose back above $69,000 as trading volume jumped 34% over the last 24 hours. Ethereum reclaimed $2,000, supported by strong buying pressure, while XRP and Dogecoin also edged higher.

Shares of cryptocurrency-linked companies also reversed, as Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN), closing up 4.06% and 1.31%, respectively.

Over $340 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market over the past 24 hours, with $184 million in bearish shorts erased, according to Coinglass data. Open interest in Bitcoin futures rose 3.11% in the last 24 hours to $44.91 billion

The market clung to “Extreme Fear” sentiment, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index here, despite …

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U.S. equities closed higher after a volatile session, buoyed by President Donald Trump‘s remarks suggesting the conflict with Iran might be nearing its end.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.5% higher at 47,740.80, while the S&P 500 added 0.83% to 6,795.99 and the Nasdaq climbed 1.38% to 22,695.94.

These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors through the day:

Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS)

Hims & Hers Health saw its stock soar by 40.79%, closing at $22.16. The stock hit an intraday high of $23.51 and a low of $20.97, with a 52-week range between $70.43 and $13.74.

This surge follows Novo Nordisk’s decision to sell its weight-loss drug through Hims & Hers’ telehealth platform, resolving a legal dispute over patent violations.

Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROKU)

Roku’s stock dipped slightly by 0.40%, closing at $100.17. The day’s trading saw a high of $100.25 and a low of $94.88, with a 52-week high of $116.66 and a low of $52.43. T

The minor …

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The federal budget deficit topped $1 trillion in the first five months of fiscal year 2026, as the U.S. government is on pace to record another massive deficit.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the federal budget deficit was just over $1 trillion through five months of fiscal year 2026, with the size of the deficit down $142 billion or 14% when compared with the same period in fiscal year 2025.

CBO noted that federal spending was just over $3.1 trillion in the first five months of fiscal year 2026, up $64 billion, or 2%, from the same period a year ago. Federal tax revenue collected jumped $206 billion, or 11%, when compared with last year and totaled nearly $2.1 trillion.

The rise in federal tax receipts was attributed to higher collections from individual income taxes and payroll taxes, with CBO noting those accounted for about two-thirds of the increase, while higher tariff rates also increased the amount of import taxes collected.

US DEBT SET TO CRUSH WORLD WAR II RECORD AS ANNUAL DEFICITS EXPLODE TO $3T WITHIN DECADE

CBO said that from October through February, individual income tax collections were up $99 billion, or 10%, when compared with the same period in the prior fiscal year, while payroll tax collections rose $34 billion, or 5%.

Customs duties, a category which includes tariffs, totaled $144 billion in the first five months of fiscal year 2026 – up $109 billion, or 308%, from the same period in the prior fiscal year. 

Some of those tariffs collected may ultimately be refunded to the businesses and individuals who paid them after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s tariffs imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) were unconstitutional. 

Tariff refunds would lower federal tax revenue and thereby increase the deficit, and while the Trump administration has moved to implement replacement tariffs, those may face similar legal challenges and collections could face delays.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BUDGET DEFICITS IN US HISTORY?

Corporate income tax collections were down $33 billion, or 23%, in the first five months of the year due to provisions in the 2025 reconciliation bill that increased the tax deductions available to companies making certain eligible investments.

Federal spending increased the most for Social Security and Medicare, the mandatory spending programs that have seen enrollment surge in recent years amid the aging of America’s population.

Spending on Social Security totaled $676 billion in the first five months of fiscal year 2026 – an increase of $48 billion, or 8%, from the same period last year. CBO noted the annual cost-of-living adjustment boosted benefit amounts, while the Social Security Fairness Act’s expansion of benefits eligibility to previously non-covered professions accounted for about $7 billion of the increase.

Medicare spending jumped $34 billion, or 9%, from a year ago to a total of $475 billion in that period, which CBO attributed to higher enrollment and increased payment rates for services.

SOCIAL SECURITY’S MAIN TRUST FUND FACES DEPLETION IN 2032, TRIGGERING BENEFIT CUTS

Another significant mandatory program saw a similar rise in spending as outlays on Medicaid also increased by $22 billion, a rise of 8%, to a total of $285 billion in the five-month period.

Interest expenses on the national debt also saw a notable jump, with net interest costs totaling $433 billion in the first five months of the fiscal year. That’s a jump of $31 billion, or 8%, from the previous year and was due to the larger national debt and higher interest rates.

While spending on the Department of War rose $14 billion, or 4%, and the Department of Veterans Affairs increased $11 billion, or 7%, in the first five months of fiscal year 2026 compared with last year, several agencies saw notable decreases.

Spending by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decreased by $20 billion, or 74%, though that decrease was due to a $20 billion expenditure in November and December 2024 under a clean energy grant program and no comparable outlay was made in 2025.

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A similar dynamic played out with the Department of Homeland Security, which saw spending decline by $12 billion, or 23%, due to a relative decrease in spending on disasters when compared with the prior year despite being partially offset by higher spending on immigration enforcement.

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Federal Reserve policymakers.Although there is still uncertainty over the impact of the war on the U. Ș. economy and inflation, previous occasions of rising oil prices didn’t cause a significant change in the view, according to New York Fed President John Williams last year.Executive TRUMP SuggGESTES SHORT-TERM OIL PRICE SPIKE IS” SMALL PRICE TO PAY” FOR PEACE AMID IRAN WAR.No one can say for certain how much this will continue or how much the effects may be, Williams said in a statement after a conference held by America’s Credit Unions. ” Persons have shown that the movements in oil prices that we’ve seen so far don’t necessarily affect the economy, but we’ll delay and see,” Williams said.He noted that the conflict with Iran is “one of those improvements that can hit both of our mandated goals in a kind of opposite approach in the short term &ndash, &nbsp, increase inflation, and possibly slow global growth,” but that the transmission through financial markets had been “reasonably muffled. “Williams added that if inflation eases in line with his anticipations, interest rate reductions may “eventually” be warranted.GAS PRICES SURGE AS IRAN CONFLICT ATTACKLES GLOBAL OIL MARKETS, PUSHING US CRUDE ABOVE$ 90At an event hosted by Bloomberg last month, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said,” It’s just too soon to know what impact this has on prices and how long. “Additionally, Kashkari told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com

On:

ews/articles/2026-03-03/fed-s-williams-says-more-rate-cuts-hinge-on-inflation-progress” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener”>Bloomberg that he now feels less confident about his original prediction for a rate cut this year, saying that” we need to get a lot more information in with the political activities. “

In a statement that was delivered on Friday, Boston Fed President Susan Collins stated in the text that” I do not see an urgency for additional coverage adjustments” and that she intends to take a “patient, deliberate view as appropriate” as she considers her view for inflation, jobs, and price reductions.

IRANIAN OIL PURCHASES, US WEIGHS ASKING CHINA TO CURB RUSSIAN, AND OTHER IRANIAN OIL PURCHASES

According to Collins, “my baseline shows a still-uncertain inflation picture with continued upside risks,” and this, in addition to recent evidence suggesting a relatively stable labor market, supports the continuation of policy rates at their current, moderately restrictive levels for some time.

Collins continued,” considerable economic uncertainty persists, exacerbated by recent geopolitical developments like the hostilities in the Middle East. “

Oȵ March 17 and 18tⱨ, the Feḑeral Opȩn Market Committee, the Fed’s moȵetary policy panel, wįll hold its next meeting to decide oȵ interest rate policy.

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The FOMC’s target range for interest rates to remain unchanged is 3. 5 % to 3. 3. 75 %, with the CME FedWatch tool showing a 97. 4 % cut in March.

Reuters provided information for this report.

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Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has lost the 11-year veteran who built the software backbone of its robotaxi service, weeks before Cybercab volume production is supposed to begin.

Thomas Dmytryk announced his departure on LinkedIn after 11 years at the company.

He led the team that built Tesla’s over-the-air update infrastructure, which now serves a fleet approaching 10 million vehicles, and more recently oversaw the software backend for the Austin robotaxi ride-hailing service.

The Exodus Keeps Growing

The departures have accelerated in 2026.

Tesla has lost two senior executives, including a 13-year veteran VP in February alone, following the exit of its long-time head of software David Lau in 2025, 18-year powertrain veteran Drew Baglino in April 2024, and both the Model Y …

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Bitcoin tapped $69,000 on Monday, following a week of positive crypto asset inflows despite geopolitical turmoil.

Cryptocurrency Ticker Price
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $68,958.41
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) $2,027
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) $85.25
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) $1.36
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) $0.09093
Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) $0.055450

Notable Statistics:

  • Coinglass data shows 95,151 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $416.72 million.
  • SoSoValue data shows net outflows of $348.8 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Friday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net outflows of $82.9 million.
  • In the past 24 hours, top gainers include DeXe, Hyperliquid and Zcash.

Notable Developments:

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Joby Aviation Inc (NYSE:JOBY) shares are trading higher in after-hours Monday after the company announced it was selected to to begin early operations this year as part of a White House-backed program.

Joby To Begin U.S. Operations In 2026

Joby said it was selected as a partner in multiple winning applications under the White House-backed Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).

Under the program, Joby will have the opportunity to begin operations in 2026 …

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has crossed a major milestone with the mining of 20 million coins, leaving less than 5% of the total supply yet to be issued

Kraken noted in a Monday blog post that unlike traditional assets such as gold, Bitcoin has a hard supply cap enforced by its code and decentralized network of nodes.

The fixed limit was embedded in Bitcoin’s design by its pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto in the 2009 genesis block.

Bitcoin’s issuance schedule is governed …

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The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has sent oil prices soaring and has prompted G7 leaders to consider the potential release of emergency oil reserves to provide relief to consumers facing higher gasoline prices.

Gas prices have risen in response to the rapid increase in oil prices, with the national average price of gas rising from $3 a gallon last week to $3.48 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA data. Oil futures have surged over 48% in the last month after trading in the range of $60-70 a barrel during February to over $95 on Monday, when futures prices were briefly above $115 before declining.

French finance minister Roland Lescure on Monday told reporters after a meeting of G7 finance ministers that leaders “are not there yet” on deciding whether to conduct an emergency release, as there aren’t current supply problems in the U.S. or Europe.

“What we’ve agreed upon is to use any necessary tools if need be to stabilize the market, including the potential release of necessary stockpiles,” Lescure added.

AMID IRAN WAR, PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTS SHORT-TERM OIL PRICE SPIKE IS ‘SMALL PRICE TO PAY’ FOR PEACE

Western economies develop strategic oil reserves in response to the 1970s oil crisis, with stockpiles like the U.S. government’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve serving as a backstop to address disruptions in the energy market that would otherwise harm the economy or imperil national security.

Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group and FOX Business contributor, said that the “mere mention” of strategic releases was enough to pull oil prices down off of their highs, as such releases of reserves “would ease markets’ concerns of tightness of supply.”

“Historically, releases from the strategic reserve, especially in coordination with other countries, have always been successful in cooling down fear in the market place,” Flynn said. “The market has to be convinced that the transportation of that oil is going to be safe, because even if you release oil from the reserve, it’s still going to take time to get to its destination, such as the refineries.”

G7 FINANCE MINISTERS TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY OIL RESERVE RELEASE AMID PRICE SURGE: REPORT

Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, told FOX Business that he expects “countries in the G7 will be forced to release oil reserves to show their public that they are taking some action to mitigate the rapid rise in prices.”

He added that he anticipates the releases will occur within the next two weeks if the conflict hasn’t reached a resolution by that time.

“Whether or not the release will have an impact will depend on if the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues to impact oil tanker loadings and if additional oil infrastructure is damaged.”

CRUDE OIL PRICES EXCEED $100 A BARREL AS WAR IN IRAN DISRUPTS PRODUCTION, SHIPPING

The Treasury Department in 2022 analyzed the impact of SPR releases carried out by the Biden-era Energy Department in response to oil disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on gas prices. 

The U.S. released 180 million barrels from the SPR over six months in 2022, while International Energy Administration partners released an additional 60 million barrels.

It found that the U.S. SPR releases alone lowered gas prices by a range of $0.13 to $0.31 per gallon, whereas the oil reserve releases done by the U.S. in tandem with IEA partners had a larger effect by reducing prices $0.17 to $0.42 per gallon.

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The findings of Treasury’s analysis were similar to those from a 2017 study by Richard Newell and Brian Priest, who found that a U.S. only release would lower gas prices by $0.33 per gallon while releases by the U.S. and IEA partners would yield a larger reduction of $0.38 a gallon.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Voyager Technologies Inc (NYSE:VOYG) reported financial results for the fourth quarter after the market close on Monday. Here’s a rundown of the report.

Voyager Reports Mixed Results In Q4

Voyager reported fourth-quarter revenue of $46.65 million, missing analyst estimates of $48.22 million, according to Benzinga Pro. The space and defense technology company reported an adjusted loss of 37 cents per share, beating analyst estimates for a loss of 55 cents per share.

Total revenue was up 24% on a year-over-year basis. The company …

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Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE:MTN) shares went downhill in Monday’s extended trading after the company released its second-quarter earnings report, missing estimates on the top and bottom lines.

Here’s a look at the key figures from the quarter. 

The Details: Vail Resorts reported quarterly earnings of $5.87 per share, which missed the Street consensus of $6.21, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Quarterly revenue came in at $1.08 billion, which …

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Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:VRTX) shares are rising in extended trading Monday after the company announced positive interim results for one of its Phase 3 trials.

Vertex Reports Positive Results For All Endpoints

Vertex announced positive data from a pre-specified week 36 interim analysis of its ongoing phase 3 RAINIER trial of povetacicept in immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Povetacicept is an engineered fusion protein and dual inhibitor of the BAFF (B cell activating factor) and APRIL (a proliferation inducing ligand) cytokines.

The trial met its primary objective, achieving a 52% reduction …

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE:HPE) shares climbed Monday’s extended trading after the company released its first-quarter earnings report, beating EPS estimates and raising guidance.

Here’s a look at the key figures from the quarter. 

The Details: Hewlett Packard reported quarterly earnings of 65 cents per share, which beat the consensus estimate of 55 cents, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Quarterly revenue came in at $9.301 billion, which just missed the Street estimate of $9.337 billion and was up from $7.85 billion in the same period last year.

Hewlett Packard reported the following …

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Aon (NYSE:AON) on Monday announced the first known stablecoin insurance premium payment among major global brokers, settling with Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Paxos using USDC on Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and PayPal USD on Solana (CRYPTO: SOL).

The First Stablecoin Premium Settlement

Aon completed the proof of concept by settling insurance premiums for Coinbase and Paxos across multiple blockchain networks. 

The transactions used USDC on Ethereum and PayPal USD (CRYPTO: PYUSD) on Solana, demonstrating flexibility across leading stablecoins and blockchains.

Tim Fletcher, CEO of Aon’s financial services group, said the move advances the firm’s commitment to innovation. 

“As tokenized instruments become more widely used, clients need confidence that speed and …

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The IRS and Treasury Department on Friday put forward new proposed rules and processes that cover the implementation of Trump Accounts for parents and guardians who want to use the savings accounts for their children.

Trump Accounts were created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was enacted last year and is expected to open for contributions after July 4, 2026. Ahead of the official launch of the accounts – which may be opened for children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, as well as those born before 2025 who are under the age of 18 – the IRS and Treasury Department have to finalize regulations for the accounts.

The newly proposed rules include processes for opening an initial Trump Account using Form 4547, which allows an authorized individual to make an election opening the initial Trump Account. The election to open a Trump Account must be made on or before Dec. 31 of the calendar year in which the eligible individual turns 17. 

Instructions for Form 4547 are currently available on the IRS website and the agency plans to allow individuals to file a one-page version of the form either at the same time they file their tax return or on a separate online portal.

HERE’S HOW MUCH TRUMP ACCOUNT BALANCES COULD GROW OVER TIME

The form also gives the individual the option of requesting the $1,000 contribution from the Treasury’s pilot program for an eligible child’s Trump Account. While children born between the start of 2025 and the end of 2028 are eligible for the federal contribution, those born before 2025 are ineligible for the seed money.

If an election for the $1,000 pilot program is made at the same time as the decision to open an initial Trump Account, the authorized individual is able to make the election for a contribution. 

If no election is made for the pilot program at the time the election to open a Trump Account is made, a different process would be used for determining an authorized individual. The proposed rule for priority ordering would be a legal guardian, parent, adult sibling and then the grandparent of the eligible individual.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD QUALIFIES FOR A TRUMP ACCOUNT: ‘A FINANCIAL STAKE IN THE FUTURE’

Additionally, the proposed rules state that the individual who makes the election to open a Trump Account will be the responsible party who has authority to make investment choices among the options available while the account beneficiary is below the age of legal capacity. 

The responsible party may also request a qualified rollover contribution to a rollover Trump Account, request a transfer for a qualified ABLE rollover contribution under certain rules or select a successor responsible party for the account.

BANK OF AMERICA TO MATCH $1,000 GOVERNMENT DEPOSITS FOR TRUMP ACCOUNTS

“Trump Accounts are a pro-family initiative that will help millions of Americans harness the strength of our economy to lift up this generation and generations to follow and unlock the American dream,” said IRS CEO Frank Bisignano. 

“Creating Trump Accounts was one of the most important provisions in President Trump’s historic One Big Beautiful Bill, and these regulations are an example of the hard work of Treasury and the IRS in developing the guidance needed to ensure that eligible families can take advantage of Trump Accounts,” Bisignano added.

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VANCOUVER, BC, March 9, 2026 /CNW/ – 1911 Gold Corporation (“1911 Gold” or the “Company“) (TSXV: AUMB) (OTCQX: AUMBF) (FRA: 2KY) is pleased to announce that, further to the news release dated February 20, 2026, the Company has closed the initial drawdown of US$15 million (the “Tranche 1 Amount“) under the loan agreement dated February 19, 2026 (the “Loan Agreement“) with Auramet International, Inc. (“Auramet“), which provides for a US$30 million secured credit facility (the “Credit Facility“). It is anticipated that the proceeds from the Credit Facility, including the Tranche 1 Amount, will be used to advance critical operational milestones at the True North Gold Project, specifically providing the capital required to purchase essential mining equipment, underground development at the True North mine, and the installation of the new crushing circuit at the mill.

The outstanding principal amount under the Credit Facility accrues interest at a rate of 12% per annum calculated and payable monthly in arrears on the last business day of each calendar month; provided, however, that no interest shall accrue on the Tranche 1 Amount for a period of six months following the closing date of the initial drawdown of the Tranche 1 Amount (the “Closing Date“). The Tranche 1 Amount shall be amortized and repaid to Auramet in 12 equal monthly instalments of US$1.25 million commencing on the date that is 13 months following the Closing Date and ending on the date that is 24 months following the Closing Date (the “Maturity Date“).

The obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by a first-ranking security interest on all personal property of the Company and a continuing collateral mortgage against the Company’s True North Gold Project and Rice Lake exploration properties. The Loan Agreement includes terms and conditions customary for a transaction of this nature, including certain specified positive and negative covenants and mandatory prepayment terms.

Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, the remaining US$15 million of the Credit Facility will be made available during the period commencing on the date that is 90 days following the Closing Date and ending on the …

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Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong says AI agents will increasingly transact using crypto wallets, while Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan argues institutional adoption could push Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) toward $1.3 million over time.

‘Own A Crypto Wallet’

Armstrong said Monday autonomous AI systems may soon execute more financial transactions than humans. “They can’t open a bank account, but they can own a crypto wallet,” he said.

These systems, including trading bots, automated services and machine-to-machine payment networks, could handle tasks such as purchasing data, paying for computing resources or executing financial trades without direct human input.

However, Armstrong noted that AI agents cannot easily access the traditional banking system because …

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) rejected $73,500 following a brief early March rally as Into The Cryptoverse analyst Benjamin Cowen declares the “simulation confirmed,” arguing BTC is tracking the average return of prior midterm years with 2014, 2018, and 2022 precision.

The Historical Playbook

Cowen predicted a month ago that Bitcoin would find a low in February, stay weak through February, rally in the first week of March, and then fade that rally. “We really do live in a simulation,” Cowen said as Bitcoin hit $73,500 before surrendering those gains.

The pattern repeats across midterm cycles. Bitcoin drops into February, rallies in early March, and then sells off just like the average of all prior midterm years. 

Despite narratives about ISM data, Jane Street, oil prices, and labor market weakness, Bitcoin follows the historical script.

Comparing 2026 to 2014 shows nearly identical moves: …

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VANCOUVER, BC, March 9, 2026 /CNW/ – Century Lithium Corp. (TSXV: LCE) (OTCQX: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z) (“Century Lithium” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the filing of the report for the Company’s 100%-owned Angel Island Lithium Project (“Angel Island”, a.k.a. “Clayton Valley”), “UPDATED NI 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE CLAYTON VALLEY LITHIUM PROJECT Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA”, with effective date January 3, 2026 (“Feasibility Study” or “Report”), to support the disclosure in the Company’s news release dated February 23, 2026. The Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) by Mineral Property Development (“MPDI”), Global Resource Engineering, Ltd. (“GRE”) and SRK Incorporated (“SRK”).

All currency amounts in this news release are presented in US dollars.

The Feasibility Study incorporates the results of continued metallurgical testing, engineering optimization, refinement of the mine plan, and updated capital and operating cost estimates for Angel Island. Using a base case price of $24,000/tonne (“t”) of lithium carbonate, Angel Island’s estimated after-tax cash flow has a 27.4% Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) and a $4.01 billion Net Present Value (“NPV”) at an 8% discount rate.

Feasibility Study Highlights

  • After-tax NPV (8% discount rate) of $4.01 billion based on price assumptions of $24,000/t for lithium carbonate and $750/dry metric tonne for sodium hydroxide

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BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE:BMNR) purchased 60,976 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) previous week and forecasts ETH to bottom between March 8-14.

The 61,000 ETH Purchase

BitMine acquisition exceeds the recent weekly average of 45,000-50,000, with total holdings reaching 4,534,563 ETH at $1,965 per ETH.

The company now owns 3.76% of the ETH supply, over 75% of the way to the “Alchemy of 5%” target in just eight months.

Total crypto and cash holdings reached $10.3 billion, including 4.5 million ETH, $1.2 billion in cash, 195 Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), $200 million stake in Beast Industries, and $14 million stake in Eightco Holdings.

BitMine has 3,040,483 staked ETH representing $6.0 billion at $1,965 per token. This represents 67% …

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin have closed on sprawling Miami-area estates, underscoring the continued shift of tech wealth from the West Coast to South Florida.

“While the neighborhoods they bought in differ, their priorities are identical: safety, security and proximity,” Douglas Elliman’s Chris Wands told Fox News Digital. “These high-profile buyers are choosing waterfront properties in gated, controlled environments with easy access to private airports and Miami’s business and restaurant corridors.”

Within roughly a 20-mile radius, four of the world’s wealthiest individuals — Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, Larry Page and Brin — now own significant residential properties. Zuckerberg’s reported $170 million closing on Indian Creek Island would rank among the most expensive residential sales in Miami-Dade County history, according to multiple reports.

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, reportedly closed on the property at 7 Indian Creek Island Road on March 2, snapping up the 1.84-acre waterfront lot for a bit less than the original $200 million listing price.

OVER $126M IN 60 DAYS — FLORIDA REAL ESTATE TYCOONS SAY BLUE-STATE WEALTH MIGRATION IS NOW PERMANENT

The home features nine bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms, a “secret” library passageway, a wellness wing with a gym, professional-grade salon and massage room, a 1,500-gallon centerpiece aquarium, a jazz lounge, a 60-foot pool and more.

The home — located three doors down from Bezos in the so-called “Billionaire Bunker” — is still under construction and was designed by Canadian architect Ferris Rafauli, known for designing rapper Drake’s “Embassy” mansion in Toronto.

“From the limestone façade and grand architectural proportions to the meticulously curated interiors, every detail showcases modern artistry and exceptional craftsmanship,” the listing details read. “This classically inspired residence offers endless views, indoor-outdoor living, and a sense of privacy and sophistication.”

“South Florida has become one of the most powerful concentrations of wealth in just a few years and that signals a real confidence in the market. Ultra-luxury real estate FOMO is absolutely real,” Douglas Elliman’s No. 1 agent nationwide, Dina Goldentayer, said. “There’s a network of gravity happening behind the scenes. Billionaires talk, their advisors, family offices and security teams are all talking. And suddenly Miami becomes a strategic base that you need as a hedge.”

Brin opted for the more residential setting of 6569 Allison Road on Allison Island in northern Miami Beach. He reportedly purchased the $51 million property through a Nevada-based entity, Lagoon LLC, which has been linked to his longtime legal representatives.

The home, previously owned by LVMH Americas CEO Michael Burke and sold in an off-market deal, is a modernist, glass-walled property spanning roughly 10,000 square feet. The design includes seven bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms, with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and architectural elements said to draw inspiration from the Guggenheim Museum.

It’s notable that both Zuckerberg and Brin’s neighborhoods include ultra-secure, private police guards who must register any guests as they come and go.

“Security will always remain paramount for the ultra-high-net worth, and they all will always have their private security detail 24/7. Their choices between Indian Creek, Coconut Grove or Allison Island would be more based on their personal preference of what lifestyle the immediate surroundings offer, and of course, the home itself,” ONE Sotheby’s International Realty’s Eddy Martinez also told Fox News Digital. “How did that home make them feel in comparison to others? All these factors come into play on the final decision.”

The real estate insiders point to Google counterpart Larry Page as the first to sound the alarm by moving to Florida, with his $173 million acquisition of two separate estates in Coconut Grove in late 2025. The timing of these billionaire relocations coincides with a California proposal that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of Golden State residents with assets exceeding $1 billion.

If such a proposal were to receive enough signatures and voter approval, individuals who were California residents as of Jan. 1, 2026, could be subject to the tax, according to the measure’s draft language.

Based on recent net worth estimates, Zuckerberg and Brin could hypothetically owe more than $10 billion each under such a tax structure, though the exact amount would depend on final valuations and the measure’s ultimate language.

“We believe the catalyst in the billionaire migration to South Florida from California is more about the billionaire tax taking place,” Martinez noted. “We believe these individuals didn’t get to where they are by FOMO — rather, their success can be attributed to a mindset of taking fast and decisive action on what they believe is best for them to move forward and have continued success.”

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As Miami real estate continues to surge, Goldentayer argues there’s no clear ceiling for how high property values could climb in the near future.

“I see no ceiling,” she said. “When five of the six richest people in the world are buying homes within miles of each other, it completely shifts the market, and we are seeing a recalibration of an entire asset class.”

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Something unusual is unfolding in inflation and interest-rate markets.

As oil prices surpass $100 a barrel amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a sharp contradiction is being priced in real time across prediction markets.

On one hand, traders are rapidly pricing a surge in inflation this month. On the other, they are still betting the Federal Reserve will move ahead with interest rate cuts in 2026.

Can the two predictions really hold simultaneously?

A Market Betting On ‘Transitory’ Again

Beneath the surface, markets appear to be resurrecting a word that defined the inflation debate in 2021: “transitory.”

According to Polymarket, the probability that the annual inflation rate for March will exceed 2.8% has jumped by about 45 percentage points to roughly 87%.

That sharp move suggests traders expect inflation to rise meaningfully from the current 2.4% level and drift further away from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Yet the interest-rate outlook tells a very different story.

Chart: The Inflation Signal That Moved 45 Points Overnight

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Rate-Cut Bets Have Not Broken

Markets still heavily expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates this year.

Notably, the implied probability of at least one rate cut stands at 75%.

Prediction market data show a 28% probability of a single rate cut of 25 basis points this year. The probability of two cuts is also about 28%, while traders assign a 15% chance to three cuts and a 4% chance to four cuts.

Meanwhile, the probability of no rate cuts is only about 18%. Even lower than that, the odds of a Federal Reserve …

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The U.S. reversed a five-year decline in the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom with its biggest annual increase in the index in over two decades, FOX Business can exclusively reveal.

America’s economic freedom score rose by 2.6 points from a year ago to 72.8, which ranks 22nd among the more than 176 countries that had completed scores in the index. The increase of 2.6 points was the largest annual increase since 2001 and is the second-largest jump the U.S. has had in its 32-year history in the index.

Heritage’s Index of Economic Freedom assesses 12 economic freedoms that fall into four categories including rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and open markets – each of which has three subcategories. 

“The U.S.’ score improvements in monetary freedom, government spending, fiscal health, and investment freedom have outpaced the relatively lower score in trade freedom, reflecting the net positive impact of major regulatory and tax reforms on economic growth, investment, and business confidence,” Heritage’s Anthony Kim, the Jay Kingham Research Fellow in International Economic Affairs, editor of the Index of Economic Freedom and manager of global engagement at the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told FOX Business.

BURGUM SAYS US-VENEZUELA TIES MOVING AT ‘TRUMP SPEED,’ WILL HELP KEEP ENERGY COSTS DOWN FOR AMERICANS

Kim explained that the progress “is not accidental” and is reflective of the Trump administration’s initiatives that have “cut government jobs, slowed spending, and prioritized private-sector growth through proactive, bold deregulatory and tax reforms.”

While the U.S. score of 72.8 came in at 22nd in the world rankings, it ranked 3rd in the Americas, trailing only Canada (75.6) and Chile (74.3), respectively. Mexico scored 59.8 and ranked 92nd in the world, and was in 19th place among the 32 countries in the Americas region.

In the rule of law category, the U.S. ranked highly with property rights, judicial effectiveness and government integrity all scoring well above the world average.

Government size was a relative weakness for the U.S., with a roughly average tax burden score of 75.3 compared to the global average of 78.4. Government spending scored 57.9 to the global average of 66.3, while fiscal health was a significant weak point – as the U.S. score of 18.5 was well below the global average of 65.9 due to high levels of public debt and large budget deficits.

US DEBT SET TO CRUSH WORLD WAR II RECORD AS ANNUAL DEFICITS EXPLODE TO $3T WITHIN DECADE

Aspects of regulatory efficiency assessed by the report included freedom for business, labor and monetary were all well above the Index’s global average.

In terms of open markets, the U.S. scored 67.6 in trade freedom, which was below the global average of 70.2. However, investment freedom and financial freedom each scored an 80 for the U.S., well above the global averages of 53.4 and 48.1, respectively.

Kim noted that the “impact of restrictive tariffs on the global economy has been far more muted than feared, in light of increased investment in such critical sectors as energy and AI (among many others),” adding that the lack of tariff retaliation by countries other than China, Canada and the EU mitigated the potential impact of a trade war.

US WEIGHS ASKING CHINA TO CURB RUSSIAN, IRANIAN OIL PURCHASES

Countries with the highest overall scores in Heritage’s Index of Economic Freedom were Singapore (84.4), Switzerland (83.7%), Ireland (83.3), Australia (80.1) and Taiwan (79.8). 

The countries that scored the lowest were among the most repressed in the world, with North Korea (3.1) ranked last. Cuba (25.2), Venezuela (27.3), Sudan (32.5) and Zimbabwe (35.2) rounded out the bottom five countries in Heritage’s analysis.

Russia (50.3), China (48.3) and Iran (41.8) were also among the lowest scoring countries in the index due to their repressive political and economic systems.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BUDGET DEFICITS IN US HISTORY?

Argentina’s economic freedom rating saw the largest increase from a year ago of all countries in Heritage’s index, climbing by 3.2 points relative to last year.

“October 2025’s decisive midterm election victory provided reform-minded President Javier Milei with concrete support and greater momentum for continuing to transform Argentina’s economy,” Kim said. 

Kim noted that several other countries, including Oman, The Philippines, Morocco and Paraguay, have “recorded sizable score improvements in their past two years despite challenging economic environments.”

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He added that Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña has been “unambiguously promoting economic freedom, combating corruption, and building alliances with democratic nations.”

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) tapped $69,000 on Monday morning after oil retraced back below $110, following the G7 and IEA’s announcement about the largest coordinated strategic oil reserve release in history.

The Historic Oil Intervention

The G7 and International Energy Agency announced the release of 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, representing nearly 30% of the IEA’s total 1.2 billion barrel stockpile.

The emergency meeting was called to combat a severe supply shock following escalation of the Iran crisis.

Oil prices plunged 11% in one hour after the announcement.

The intervention targets oil prices that surged above $100 a barrel amid conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

IEA nations currently hold 1.24 billion barrels in public reserves plus 600 million barrels in industry stocks.

This system was designed after the 1973 crisis specifically for this …

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BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) 50% drawdown reflects growing fears of an AI-driven credit shock rather than weakness in the crypto market itself.

Bitcoin’s AI-Triggered Credit Destruction

Hayes argued in an interview with Cointelegraph that the decline reflects a broader macro risk tied to artificial intelligence and global geopolitics.

Markets may be underpricing geopolitical risk from the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, although his central thesis focuses on what he calls AI-triggered credit destruction.

Hayes’ argument: widespread AI adoption could …

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Editor’s Note: The future prices of benchmark tracking ETFs and the headline were updated in the story.

U.S. stock futures fell sharply on Monday following Friday’s negative close. Futures of the major benchmark indices were lower amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict.

The bloodbath follows a historic surge in energy costs. Brent Crude spiked 14.90% to hit $106.50, while WTI surged 13.27% to $102.96, with both benchmarks now aggressively testing their 52-week highs of $119.46 and $119.43, respectively.

Despite the market carnage, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to dismiss the economic anxiety, framing the record-high fuel costs as a necessary byproduct of his administration’s offensive against Tehran.

Trump On Oil Prices.

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.19%, and the two-year bond was at 3.63%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool’s projections show markets pricing a 97.3% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.

Index Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones -1.61%
S&P 500 -1.41%
Nasdaq 100 -1.56%
Russell 2000 -2.60%

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were lower in premarket on Monday. The SPY was down 0.93% at $666.14, while the QQQ declined 1.04% to $593.50.

Stocks In Focus

Ovintiv

  • Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:OVV) jumped 5.24% in premarket on Monday after Director Mayson Howard John sold 5,000 shares of common stock last week, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  • OVV maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium, and long terms, with a solid value ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings for OVV.

Hims & Hers Health

  • Hims & Hers Health Inc. (NYSE:HIMS) surged 49.36% after it reportedly ended a public feud with Novo Nordisk AS (NYSE:NVO), …

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Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a major expansion of their multi-year partnership Monday.

The deal positions Adobe as the official Presenting Sponsor of MLB Opening Day in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

The partnership arms MLB’s marketing, product, and content teams with Adobe’s enterprise AI tools. It targets fan engagement across digital platforms at scale.

What the Expanded Deal Covers

Adobe’s expanded role includes four key technology deployments across MLB operations.

Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing will power MLB’s campaign delivery. Teams can create personalized, on-brand content variations across digital channels quickly.

Adobe LLM Optimizer targets brand discoverability. It helps MLB monitor how content surfaces …

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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.

Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga’s extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy.

Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the real estate sector.

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc (NYSE:PK)

  • Dividend Yield: 9.17%
  • Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Jay Kornreich maintained a Neutral rating and raised the price target from $11 to $12 on March 3, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 53%.
  • JP Morgan analyst Daniel Politzer maintained an Underweight rating and increased the price target from $10 to $11 on Feb. 3, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 61%
  • Recent News: On Feb. 19, …

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) will release earnings results for its first quarter, after the closing bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Spring, Texas-based company to report quarterly earnings at 59 cents per share, up from 49 cents per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s quarterly revenue is $9.35 billion, versus $7.85 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

On Jan. 26, HPE announced a strategic collaboration with 2degrees to accelerate AI innovation and strengthen data sovereignty in New Zealand.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares fell 1.6% to close at $21.13 on Friday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.

Let’s have a …

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Global markets are reeling Monday morning as a violent spike in energy prices sends shockwaves through the U.S. travel and industrial sectors.

US Futures, Asian Markets Slump Amid Rising Crude Prices

Following a chaotic weekend in the Persian Gulf, Dow Jones futures plummeted over 1,000 points in overnight trading, while crude oil benchmarks aggressively tested their 52-week highs near the $120 mark.

The risk-off contagion is hitting U.S. equities, creating a stark divide between war-exposed transportation stocks and defense-heavy beneficiaries.

The decline follows a historic surge in energy costs. Brent Crude spiked over 22.99% to hit $114.00, while WTI surged 1.20% to $110.17, with both benchmarks now aggressively testing their 52-week highs of $119.46 and $119.46, respectively.

Index Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones -2.04%
S&P 500 -1.88%
Nasdaq 100 -2.18%
Russell 2000 -3.74%

The Overnight Movers: Winners and Losers

Investor anxiety is focused squarely on fuel-sensitive industries. $DAL

Company Name Overnight Move Market Context
Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) -3.78% Immediate pressure on jet fuel margins; flight cancellations in the Gulf.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) -4.00% Heavily impacted by airspace closures and soaring international fuel costs.
Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) -3.88% Maritime fuel surcharges and geopolitical risk hitting …

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The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a further increase in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Friday.

U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 450 points during the session.

Stocks also recorded losses last week, with the S&P 500 losing 2% and the 30-stock Dow dropping 3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also declined 1.2% during the week.

President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, demanding unconditional surrender and warning of devastating consequences should attacks on U.S. forces continue. Qatar’s energy minister warned oil could surge past $150 should the Strait of Hormuz fully close.

Oil prices jumped to the highest levels since October 2023. Crude has rallied nearly 35% for the week, recording the biggest weekly gain in the commodities’ trading history.

In earnings, Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) shares jumped over 18% on Friday after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly financial results. Shares of Owlet Inc.

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The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,740.02, down 1.33%, with futures falling further Monday morning as oil resumed its climb amid uncertainty over the Iran war.

The Polygon-based (CRYPTO: POL) Polymarket is sending a bearish signal at the beginning of the week. In the early trades, “Up” was the minority call, with only 6% chance of the S&P 500 opening higher, while 94% of bettors bet their money on a “Down” opening.

Why That Number Matters

The odds reflect genuine uncertainty amid rising crude oil prices. Brent Crude spiked over 22.99% to hit $114.00, while WTI surged 1.20% to $110.17, …

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Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HRTG) will release its fourth quarter earnings before the opening bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Tampa, Florida-based company to report earnings of $1.74 per share. That’s up from 66 cents per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Heritage Insurance’s quarterly revenue is $212.6 million (it reported $210.26 million last year), according to Benzinga Pro.

On Nov. 5, Heritage reported net income of $50.4 million or $1.63 per share for the third quarter, up from $8.2 million or 27 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Shares of Heritage Insurance fell 0.4% to close at $26.88 on Friday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the

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Sharplink, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBET) will release its fourth quarter earnings before the opening bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Miami, Florida-based company to report earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $16.85 million, according to Benzinga Pro.

On Feb. 3, the company officially changed its corporate name from SharpLink Gaming to Sharplink Inc.

Shares of Sharplink fell 7.2% to close at $7.36 on Friday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.

Let’s have a look …

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Sharplink, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBET) will release its fourth quarter earnings before the opening bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Miami, Florida-based company to report earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $16.85 million, according to Benzinga Pro.

On Feb. 3, the company officially changed its corporate name from SharpLink Gaming to Sharplink Inc.

Shares of Sharplink fell 7.2% to close at $7.36 on Friday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.

Let’s have a look …

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Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is on his way to becoming a trillionaire, with a net worth of around $662 billion. This will receive a boost after the much-awaited initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX.

Elon Musk Hints At $ 1.75 Trillion Valuation

The potential SpaceX IPO has been a topic of significant interest, especially after Musk hinted at a $1.75 trillion valuation. This valuation is driven by SpaceX’s ambitious plans for Mars colonization and orbital expansion.

The company is reportedly preparing to file confidentially for an IPO as early as next month, aiming for a June listing that could raise up to $50 billion, potentially surpassing Saudi Aramco’s $29 billion debut to become the largest IPO …

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Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and CNBC’s Jim Cramer led a wave of alarm Sunday after oil prices surged and President Donald Trump said higher energy costs were “a very small price to pay” for world safety and peace.

Schumer And Cramer Sound Early Alarm

Schumer wrote on X, “Due to Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice, gas prices have surged to their highest levels in years,” and demanded that Trump release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve “IMMEDIATELY.”

Cramer warned, “A sudden oil shock is always bad for stocks,” adding, “I don’t see a path to de-escalation.”

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Over the past several years, Ford has found itself in hot water, with recalls sweeping through nearly every model in its lineup between 2020 and 2026 — all but one. 

Only the Ford GT, a mid-engine two-seater sports car, escaped the issues that plagued the rest of the lineup, including problems with windshields, suspension and rearview cameras.

Discontinued after 2022, the model paid homage to the iconic Ford GT40, which dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s. While the second-generation Ford GT largely avoided recalls, both generations experienced some issues. The first faced potential airbag problems, while the second had possible hydraulic defects.

In 2025, Ford set a record for the most recalls issued by a single automaker in a single year, issuing more than 150 — nearly double the previous record of 77 set by General Motors in 2014.

FORD RECALLS MORE THAN 615,000 VEHICLES OVER WIPER AND DRIVESHAFT DEFECTS

The surge was largely attributed to an aggressive strategy of initiating voluntary recalls before major incidents or widespread complaints emerged.

“The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers,” the company said in summer 2025. “Ford has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years and significantly increased testing to failure on critical systems in current Ford vehicles such as powertrains, steering and braking. Insights from this testing are being incorporated into current production.”

Over six years, 16 Ford models — spanning SUVs and crossovers, trucks and pickups, performance cars and commercial vans — were affected, totaling tens of millions of vehicles.

FORD RECALLS MORE THAN 412,000 VEHICLES OVER SUSPENSION ISSUE

Among Ford’s seven SUV and crossover models — Escape, Bronco Sport, Bronco, Explorer, Expedition, Mustang Mach-E and Edge — each has been subject to at least one recall. Issues have included inverted or blank rearview camera images, cracked fuel injectors that pose fire risks, software faults that could cause brake malfunctions and electronic door latch failures that may lead to lockouts or entrapment.

All five major Ford truck and pickup models — Maverick, Ranger, F-150, F-150 Lightning and Super Duty — have also been affected. The most widespread problems involve electrical faults that can disable trailer brake lights, turn signals or braking functions while towing, increasing crash risks.

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Ford has largely phased out traditional sedans, leaving the Mustang as its only remaining passenger car. The coupe and convertible, produced since 2020, have faced issues including rearview camera malfunctions.

The company’s commercial vans — Transit, E-Transit and Transit Connect — have also been recalled for problems involving braking, towing, electrical systems and visibility.

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Enterprise software giant Oracle is reportedly planning to ax thousands of jobs due to mounting financial pressure from its aggressive push to build AI-focused data centers.

The tech powerhouse may slash 20,000 to 30,000 positions, possibly cutting 12–18% of its global workforce of roughly 162,000 employees, tech magazine CIO reported.

The layoffs could be implemented as early as March 2026, Bloomberg reported.

The move is driven by a cash crunch from massive spending on data centers, which Wall Street expects will keep Oracle’s cash flow negative for years, forcing the company to seek alternative ways to preserve liquidity, Bloomberg said.  

MAJOR TECH COMPANIES BACK TRUMP PLEDGE TO PAY MORE FOR DATA CENTER ELECTRICITY AHEAD OF SIGNING

Additionally, several U.S. banks have scaled back financing for Oracle’s massive AI data center expansion, according to investment bank TD Cowen, cited by CIO.com. Lenders have reportedly voiced growing concerns over the company’s ability to repay debt given the enormous capital required to build infrastructure for high-profile AI clients such as OpenAI.

“Both equity and debt investors have raised questions regarding Oracle’s ability to finance this buildout,” the report said.

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER TO CUT HUNDREDS OF JOBS, SHUT CONNECTICUT PLANT

The job cuts will span divisions across the company, focusing on roles Oracle expects to need less of due to AI, Bloomberg reported.

The move is also expected to free up $8 billion to $10 billion, TD Cowen said in a research report cited by CIO.

Led by Chairman Larry Ellison, Oracle is making a high-stakes, all-in bet on becoming a top-tier AI cloud provider to rival AWS, Microsoft and Salesforce.  

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The upcoming layoffs at Oracle are expected to be much larger and more extensive than the company’s usual smaller routine job cuts. 

Oracle reportedly told internal teams it would reassess many open positions in its cloud division while evaluating which roles are still necessary. However, planning for the workforce reductions is still ongoing and could change, Bloomberg reported.  

FOX Business reached out to Oracle for more information.  

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These ten large-cap stocks were top performers last week.

These firms rallied on strong earnings, raised guidance, bullish analyst calls, insider confidence and momentum tied to energy, advertising and capital return catalysts.

Are they a part of your portfolio?

Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) gained 11.43% this week, fueled by Brent crude’s sharp climb on U.S.-Iran hostilities. Also, the firm reported fourth-quarter earnings and announced a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchase agreement with Trafigura.

The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) increased 26.7% this week  after reports surfaced about potential advertising discussions with OpenAI. The ad-technology company also gained attention following a …

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These ten large-cap stocks were the worst performers last week.

These firms were hit by a mix of weak earnings, lowered guidance, deal pressure, rising yields, and geopolitical or AI-spending concerns.

Are they a part of your portfolio?

Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) lost 24.65% this week. The company is set to join S&P 500, effective March 23, 2026.

Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) slumped 17.86% this week.

First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG) decreased 17.69% this week. Shares of precious metal companies are traded lower amid a stronger dollar and rising yields as the market drops due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:

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It’s been an eventful week in the world of business and finance. Here’s a quick look at the top stories that made headlines.

Trump’s Trade Wars, AI Displacement

Amid President Donald Trump‘s trade wars, the real story for Wall Street in 2026 is a tug-of-war between record-high valuations, a “messy” Federal Reserve, and a literal war in the Middle East. However, experts have told Benzinga that what looks like a bubble to some is simply “agility” to others.

Patrick Sarch, of the White & Case LLP, stated that current market conditions are prompting short-sellers to identify companies whose fundamentals don’t support their valuations.

Read the full article here.

Arthur Hayes: The longer Trump Lingers In Iran, Higher The Chances Of Bitcoin Surging

Arthur Hayes, Chief Investment Officer at Maelstrom Fund, said that a prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict could force the Federal Reserve to print more money, ultimately driving Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) higher.

In an …

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Crude oil has been in focus since the U.S. and Israel began their strikes on Iran, which also killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Strait Of Hormuz Closed

Concerns around crude oil prices escalated when Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, warning it would fire on any vessel attempting to pass.

Since the closure, oil has surged by 35%, pushing it above the $90 mark. Crude oil was last trading at $90.90, up by 12.2%.

Strikes Against Oil Infra

Iran has attacked oil infrastructure in the Middle East, which has resulted in a reduction in output. Saudi Aramco’s Berri oilfield was reportedly struck by debris, causing minor …

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U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly indicate that Iran remains capable of reaching its main highly enriched uranium reserves at Isfahan, despite American strikes that sealed the site beneath the ground.

Spy Agencies Flag Nuclear Risk

The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, said Iran holds roughly 970 pounds of uranium, the bulk of which is stored at Isfahan and enriched to 60%.

Uranium would still need to be enriched to about 90% to reach weapons-grade levels — a step U.S. officials say would be relatively easy if Iran’s centrifuges are still running.

Commando Raid Option Still on the Table

President Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One Saturday, …

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A widening supply shock propelled crude oil 35% higher in a week, pushing prices above $90 a barrel, as the Strait of Hormuz closed, drone strikes crippled Saudi oilfields, and a wave of force majeure declarations rippled through global energy markets.

This is the result of escalating tensions between the U.S and Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Assets Under Fire

Saudi Aramco’s Berri oilfield, which produces about 250,000 barrels per day, reportedly suffered minor debris damage on Saturday after Saudi defenses intercepted a drone attributed to Iran.

Earlier, Saudi Arabian air defenses intercepted 20 drones launched in five waves toward Shaybah Oilfield, a 1-million-barrel-per-day facility operated by Saudi Aramco in the Empty Quarter desert, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a series of posts on X.

Separately, the ministry said Ras Tanura Refinery—a 550,000-barrel-per-day facility on the kingdom’s east coast—was targeted twice during the same week, on March 2 and March 4, according to an Argus report.

In Abu Dhabi, a drone struck the UAE’s Mussafah fuel terminal; authorities contained the fire with no injuries or operational disruption.

Hormuz Blockaded, Storage Filling Fast

According to a Reuters report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps …

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Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) on Friday won U.S. approval for its oral drug Sotyktu to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis.

The decision gives patients another option for joint and skin symptoms tied to the autoimmune disease.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug after reviewing late-stage trial data that showed better disease control than placebo, according to a PRNewswire release.

The treatment works by selectively targeting tyrosine kinase 2, a pathway involved in immune-driven inflammation.

Clinical Trial Results

Researchers tested the drug in two global Phase 3 studies, POETYK PsA-1 and POETYK PsA-2. Patients received either a daily 6-milligram tablet or placebo during the controlled part of the trials.

Investigators used American College of Rheumatology response criteria to measure results.

By Week 16, about 54% of patients taking Sotyktu achieved an ACR20 response in both studies.

By comparison, 34% …

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The Trump administration is signaling stronger support for cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies in its updated cybersecurity strategy.

The policy document outlines how emerging technologies will shape national security, economic competitiveness and digital infrastructure.

Jason Lowery, an executive associated with the Defense Department initiative, highlighted the development on X and pointed to the policy update.

Lowery wrote on X, “Boom. Supporting cryptocurrency & blockchain technology is now officially an emerging technology priority in the U.S. Presidential Cyber Strategy.”

Cyber Strategy Elevates Blockchain

The seven-page document outlines the White House’s approach to defending digital infrastructure and strengthening American technological leadership.

It places cyberspace at the center of economic growth, innovation and national defense.

The strategy argues that digital networks underpin everyday life, economic opportunity and the country’s …

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Salesforce CEO (NYSE:CRM) Marc Benioff said on Wednesday that warnings about AI-driven mass white-collar layoffs were overblown. By Friday morning, the U.S. economy had shed 92,000 jobs, and a week that saw headlines on job cuts at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), and Capital One (NYSE:COF) was drawing to a close.

The Comment That Didn’t Age Well

Speaking to CNBC, Benioff said, “These pronouncements of these mass white collar layoffs: I just do not see it,” calling Block’s 40% staff reduction a company-specific problem rather than evidence of a broad trend. His remarks put him at odds with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who has said AI could soon eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar roles, and OpenAI-backer Vinod Khosla, who said that week that AI could replace 80% …

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Retail investors talked up five hot stocks this week (March 2 to March 6) on X and Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets, driven by retail hype, earnings, AI buzz, and corporate news flow.

Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL), Webull Corp. (NASDAQ:BULL), SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ:SNDK), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR), Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), spanning software, semiconductors, investment platforms, storage, cybersecurity, and AI, reflected diverse investor interests.

Oracle

  • ORCL was in focus for its challenges with aggressive AI data center expansion and related cost pressures. On March 3, Oracle officially announced that its third-quarter earnings would be released after market close on March 10, with a conference call to follow. More significantly, reports emerged around March 5 that Oracle is planning to cut thousands of jobs across divisions as soon as this month to address a cash crunch from massive AI infrastructure spending, with some reductions targeting roles less needed due to AI advancements and internal reviews of open positions in the cloud unit.
  • Some retail investors were questioning ORCL’s massive bets on the AI boom.
A comment on r/WallStreetBets subreddit.
Source: Reddit
  • The stock had a 52-week range of $118.86 to $345.72, trading around $154 to $157 per share, as of the publication of this article. It fell 4.19% over the year and 33.51% over the last six months.
  • ORCL had a weaker price trend in the short, medium, and long term, with a poor value ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.

Webull

  • BULL was in focus this week after it reported a mixed fourth-quarter earnings report. Quarterly earnings of one cent per share missed the Street estimate of four cents, and revenue clocked in at $165.2 million, which beat the consensus estimate of $160.81 million. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated its Buy rating, arguing …

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Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors’ favorite stocks over the last week — here’s a look at some of our top stories.

U.S. markets faced a turbulent week as escalating conflict in the Middle East sent oil prices surging and rattled investor confidence. Crude prices jumped toward $90 per barrel, marking one of the sharpest weekly gains in years as disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz threatened global energy supply. The surge came alongside a surprise deterioration in the U.S. labor market, with nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly falling by 92,000 jobs in February, reinforcing concerns that economic momentum may be weakening.

Higher energy costs quickly rippled across equity markets, lifting energy stocks while hammering fuel-sensitive sectors such as airlines and cruise operators. Shares of travel companies fell sharply as investors worried that rising jet fuel prices could squeeze margins and dampen demand. The geopolitical shock added to already fragile sentiment as traders reassessed inflation risks tied to higher oil prices and supply disruptions.

Global markets also reacted to the widening Iran conflict, with emerging-market equities and Asian stocks under pressure due to their heavy dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies. Countries such as South Korea — a major importer of Gulf crude — were particularly exposed. The conflict’s impact on energy markets and inflation expectations has left investors bracing for continued volatility across equities, commodities and currencies in the weeks ahead.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week’s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

“Defense Stocks Hit Records As Trump Warns ‘Big Wave’ In Iran: 10 Names In Focus,” by Piero Cingari, reports that the SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense …

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Fast-food chain Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) has launched a nationwide contest, promising a $100,000 package for the role of “Chief Tasting Officer”. The contest, which started on March 2, will continue until March 30.

The winner will be hired as an independent contractor and will have to meet certain social media content deliverables.

The contest is open to all legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., aged 18 or older. Participants can enter by posting a public 60-second video on Instagram or TikTok, or by uploading a submission through the official contest website.

The job listing, which questioned, “Do you care more about bacon than bottom lines?” was posted on a dedicated website outside Wendy’s corporate domain and on Wendy’s official X handle.

The listing hilariously pitches the role as “a job AI can’t steal because… no mouth duh,” and mentions the only requirements as: “A human mouth. A pulse. Opinions. …

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Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) has committed to a significant increase in munitions production, following a meeting with former President Donald Trump and other defense industry leaders.

On Friday, Lockheed Martin announced that it has agreed to quadruple its munitions production, attributing the decision to Trump’s leadership. The company initiated the expansion several months ago, in collaboration with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg.

The announcement was made via an X post highlighting President Trump’s Truth Social post, in which he praised the CEOs of major defense manufacturing companies for their commitment to increasing the production of “Exquisite Class” weaponry.

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Economists are warning that the escalating Iran conflict could trigger a surge in oil prices, disrupt global supply chains, and potentially reignite inflation pressures in the U.S. and worldwide.

Peter Schiff Warns War Spending Could Fuel Inflation

On Friday, economist Peter Schiff warned that a prolonged conflict with Iran could have massive economic consequences, potentially costing the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars.

“Trump committed Americans to pay billions to defeat Iran, then billions more to rebuild what we destroy,” Schiff wrote on X. “The cost will likely be measured in the hundreds of billions and could top $1 trillion, causing already rising inflation to skyrocket.”

When asked whether the conflict could push investors toward safe-haven assets such as gold, Schiff responded, “Of course.”

He also pushed back against suggestions that rising energy costs alone would drive inflation, arguing instead that government borrowing and money creation would play a bigger role.

“The inflation comes from all …

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Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the Food and Drug Administration‘s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which oversees vaccines and biotech drugs, is set to leave his position at the end of April, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary confirmed on Friday.

Prasad Exits FDA After Controversial Tenure

Prasad, who came to the FDA after leaving the University of California, San Francisco, had originally intended to remain at the agency for the full year of his leave from the university, Makary told The Wall Street Journal. His departure comes after the implementation of several new FDA policies, which were his primary focus.

Prasad’s division at the FDA is responsible for evaluating a wide …

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In defiance of the Pentagon’s recent decision to designate Anthropic AI as a supply chain risk, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) have announced they will continue to offer Anthropic’s AI technology to their clients, except for defense-related projects.

Cloud Giants Shield Commercial Revenue Amid Pentagon Fallout

CNBC reported that Amazon decided on Friday. Google and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) confirmed it to TechCrunch.

It follows the Pentagon’s formal designation, which requires defense vendors to certify that they are not using Anthropic’s chatbot Claude in Department of Defense work.

The three companies are the leading providers of cloud infrastructure.

Since 2023, Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic, whose Claude AI runs on …

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Samsara Inc (NYSE:IOT) posted better-than-expected earnings results for the fourth quarter on Thursday.

Samsara reported revenue of $444.30 million versus estimates of $422.26 million, and adjusted earnings per share of 18 cents versus estimates of 13 cents.

“Our performance is driven by the scale of our data asset, which now captures more than 25 trillion data points annually to fuel our AI-powered platform,” said Sanjit Biswas, co-founder and CEO of Samsara.

Samsara said it expects first-quarter revenue to be in the range of $454 million to $456 million versus estimates of $443.99 million. The company anticipates adjusted earnings per share of 12 cents to 13 cents versus estimates of 12 cents.

Samsara also issued fiscal 2027 revenue guidance of approximately $1.97 billion to $1.98 billion versus estimates of $1.92 billion, and adjusted earnings …

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Kuwait, a key member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has reportedly started scaling back production at some of its oil fields due to a lack of storage space for its crude.

Kuwait Scales Back Oil Production Amid Storage Crunch

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported on Friday that the country is also contemplating further cuts to its production and refining capacity, which would only cater to domestic consumption.

Data provider Kpler has observed signs of Kuwait’s production cuts and predicts that the country will need to reduce output even more in the next 12 days to prevent storage from reaching capacity.

On Wednesday, QatarEnergy declared Force Majeure to its LNG buyers after halting all liquefied natural gas production.

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Kalshi is facing a $54 million class action lawsuit after traders accused the prediction market of invoking a “death carveout” clause to avoid paying bets tied to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, according to reporting from Reuters.

Kalshi was sued in federal court Thursday over contracts that asked whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave office before March 1, 2026, according to a class action complaint.

Khamenei, 85, was killed Saturday in U.S.-Israeli strikes that left hundreds dead, including top Iranian officials. The strikes occurred under Operation Epic Fury.

The lawsuit says customers were drawn to what it calls the “Khamenei Market” because of the shifting geopolitical situation with Iran’s leadership. It alleges that, after Khamenei was killed, Kalshi invoked a “death carveout” provision to avoid paying customers what they were owed.

JUDGE BLOCKS META FROM INTRODUCING ‘EXAGGERATED’ CLAIMS IN SOCIAL MEDIA TRIAL

“With an American naval armada amassed on Iran’s doorstep and military conflict not merely foreseeable but widely anticipated, consumers understood that the most likely — and in many cases the only realistic — mechanism by which an 85-year-old autocratic leader would ‘leave office’ was through his death,” the lawsuit states.

“Defendants understood this as well.”

The complaint argues the contract language was “clear, unambiguous and binary” and accuses Kalshi of “deceptive” and “predatory” conduct.

APPLE IMPLEMENTING AGE VERIFICATION TOOL TO ENSURE USERS ARE 18 AND UP FOR SOME APPS

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The company’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, on Saturday defended the “death carveout,” saying it “keeps the rules simple.” He also said Kalshi would reimburse all fees from the Khamenei market.

Prediction markets have exploded in popularity since the 2024 U.S. election, when their real-time probabilities proved more accurate than polling in forecasting Donald Trump’s victory, according to Reuters.

Platforms like Kalshi offer tradable yes-or-no contracts tied to real-world events ranging from politics and sports to the economy. Contracts typically cost between zero and 100 cents and pay out if a specified outcome is confirmed.

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Kalshi did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

Reuters contributed to this reporting.

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The Labor Department’s latest jobs report showed that American workers’ wage gains are continuing to outpace stubbornly high inflation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its jobs report for February Friday, which showed that workers’ average hourly earnings rose faster than expected last month.

Employees on private nonfarm payrolls saw their average hourly earnings rise by 15 cents, or 0.4%, on a monthly basis to $37.32 an hour. That outpaced the expected increase of 0.3% that was projected by LSEG economists.

Average earnings rose 3.8% in February compared with a year ago, up from 3.7% in January. LSEG economists estimated that the annual increase in earnings would be unchanged at 3.7% in February.

US ECONOMY SHED 92K JOBS IN FEBRUARY, WELL BELOW EXPECTATIONS

The BLS data also showed that the average workweek was unchanged at 34.3 hours, in line with the estimate of LSEG economists and unchanged from January. Among workers in the manufacturing sector, the average workweek declined slightly by 0.1 hour to 40.1 hours, while overtime was unchanged at three hours.

The rising wages and relatively steady workweeks come as stubborn inflation has persisted above the Federal Reserve’s long-run target of 2%. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, rose to 2.9% on an annual basis in December. Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was up 3% from a year ago in December.

A separate inflation gauge, the consumer price index (CPI), was up just 2.4% on a year-over-year basis in January and trended down after a 2.7% reading in December. Core CPI was up 2.5% from a year ago in January.

Inflation creates severe financial pressures for households, particularly those with lower incomes that are forced to pay relatively more for essentials.

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE SHOWED CONSUMER PRICE GROWTH REMAINED ELEVATED IN DECEMBER

Wage gains rising faster than inflation helps protect earners’ purchasing power by reducing the amount that’s eroded by inflation-induced price hikes, though that dynamic is limited by elevated inflation. 

They can also signal competition among employers for qualified workers. The unemployment rate was little changed in February, rising from 4.3% to 4.4% from the prior month.

“Jobs in the private sector, along with ongoing reductions in federal government staffing, led to lower payroll employment in February. But the unemployment rate remains low because of the southern border shutdown. That is why wage growth remains healthy with a 3.8% rise,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

FED DISSENT GROWS AS SOME OFFICIALS WEIGH RETURN TO INTEREST RATE HIKES AMID STUBBORN INFLATION

Andy Bregenzer, head of U.S. regional and small business banking and co-head of commercial bank at TD, said it was “disappointing to see January’s hiring momentum come into question with February’s slowdown” and emphasized that small businesses need to stay disciplined in this economic environment.

“What we continue to hear from small business owners is that while hiring pressure may ease modestly if jobs growth slows, wages and competition for skilled workers remain elevated. This is the environment where small business owners need to stay disciplined and balance growth plans with careful cost management.”

Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, noted that wage dynamics were “firmer than expected” and said the 3.8% annual wage growth underscored that “labor cost pressures remain sticky even as job growth falters.”

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He cautioned that “forward-looking indicators point to continued moderation in wage growth going forward, with the private sector quits rate remaining near its lowest level since early 2016 outside of a recession, and business surveys continue to signal restraint in compensation plans.”

Daco said that given the expectation of subdued labor demand, his firm’s outlook sees wage growth easing toward 3.5% in the second half of 2026.

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In the current market session, Northrop Grumman Inc. (NYSE:NOC) stock price is at $753.38, after a 0.36% decrease. However, over the past month, the company’s stock went up by 6.63%, and in the past year, by 52.61%. Shareholders might be interested in knowing whether the stock is overvalued, even if the company is not performing up to par in the current session.

Past Year Chart

How Does Northrop Grumman P/E Compare to Other Companies?

The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company’s EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company’s current performance against it’s past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as …

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Oil’s 35% weekly spike has put crude above the psychological $90 mark, forcing traders to decide whether this is the start of a new uptrend or a blow-off move that unwinds just as quickly.

Oil Prices Explode

  • The move is being driven by a severe supply shock, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut and Middle East output and refining capacity disrupted.
  • WTI and Brent have ripped to multi‑month highs as traders price in prolonged supply risk, pushing front‑month futures and oil‑linked ETFs sharply higher.

The United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO) tracks front-month WTI futures, giving investors a liquid way to express a directional call on crude without trading futures directly.

A sustained move above $90 would likely reflect ongoing supply tightness …

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It was the kind of week that reminded investors how quickly the market narrative can shift, as a geopolitical shock, a surprising jobs decline and fresh tariff threats combined to shake confidence across Wall Street.

Energy markets set the tone.

The escalating conflict in Iran disrupted crude supplies and shut down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that normally handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments.

With parts of the route effectively closed and drone attacks targeting regional energy facilities, several oil-producing countries including Iraq and Kuwait reportedly curtailed production.

The disruptions helped push crude oil prices sharply higher. Oil surged toward $90 a barrel by midday Friday, up over 30% for the week, one of the biggest weekly jumps in history.

Chart: Crude Tops $90 For First Time Since 2023, Notch Strongest Week Ever

Energy Stocks Avoid Losses, Fuel-Consuming Industries Sink

Higher energy prices quickly rippled through …

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Steve Eisman, the investor who predicted the 2008 mortgage crisis, says private credit’s grip on the life insurance industry is “a slow brewing scandal which could be one day a great financial crisis.”

On the Real Eisman Playbook podcast, Eisman and forensic accountant Tom Gober laid out a case that firms like Apollo Global Management Inc (NYSE:APO), KKR & Co Inc (NYSE:KKR) and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd (NYSE:BAM) are using captive insurance divisions to buy their own private credit paper.

At the same time, they offload billions in liabilities to offshore reinsurance subsidiaries that file no US financial statements.

Billions In Liabilities, Millions In Real Assets

Gober, who spent seven years as a state insurance …

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February’s shocking jobs report, Iran war headlines and AI jitters are steering money into classic defensives like healthcare, energy majors, consumer staples giants and even cash‑rich AI leaders.

Jobs Shock Meets War and AI Fears

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 nonfarm jobs in February, with unemployment ticking up to 4.4%, underscoring a softer labor market just as markets confront a Middle East war and questions about an AI bubble. 

The mix of weakening employment, rising geopolitical risk and the AI scare trade narratives is encouraging investors to rotate out of the most speculative growth and into companies with durable cash flows, pricing power and tangible assets.

Defensive Anchors: Healthcare, Utilities, Staples

In healthcare, multinational giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is frequently cited as a core defensive holding thanks to its diversified mix of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies that tend to be less sensitive to economic cycles. 

On the utility side, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) combines regulated electric utility cash flows with long‑term growth from renewables, …

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Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA) fell Thursday as rising short interest and its recent earnings report pressured the online used-car retailer.

Broader markets also weakened as Middle East tensions pushed Brent crude toward $90 on fears disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could hit Persian Gulf supply. The S&P 500 dropped 1.16%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.07%.

Short Interest Climbs, Adding Stock-Specific Pressure

Short sellers are increasingly skeptical of Carvana. Short interest rose from 14.84 million to 15.17 million shares in the latest reporting period, according to Benzinga.

That puts 12.1% of publicly available shares short. At an average daily volume of 3.82 million shares, shorts would need nearly four days to exit without spiking the stock.

Q4 Earnings Beat Expectations But Cost Concerns Linger

Carvana reported fourth-quarter …

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Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) could benefit after OpenAI reportedly scaled back plans to enable direct purchases within ChatGPT. Instead, the platform may redirect shoppers to retailer apps for checkout, a shift that could strengthen Walmart’s digital ecosystem and drive traffic to its own commerce channels.

According to Bank of America Securities analyst Christopher Nardone, the change could reinforce Walmart’s position as artificial intelligence reshapes online shopping.

Nardone reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price forecast of $150, citing Walmart’s AI investments, retail partnerships, and value-focused positioning as key advantages.

AI Infrastructure And Retail Integrations

OpenAI is reconsidering plans to allow direct purchases inside ChatGPT.

Instead, the platform may redirect shoppers to retailer apps linked through ChatGPT for checkout.

Nardone said the change is likely to benefit Walmart by encouraging a commerce model similar to its Gemini partnership.

He added that early integrations may involve fewer retailers, giving Walmart stronger visibility …

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Marvell Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MRVL) reported better-than-expected quarterly financial results on Thursday.

Marvell reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.22 billion, narrowly beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 billion, while adjusted earnings came in at 80 cents per share — one cent ahead of expectations.

“We expect year-over-year revenue growth to accelerate each quarter in fiscal 2027, driven by continued strength in our data center business, with bookings continuing to grow at a record pace,” said Matt Murphy, chairman and CEO of Marvell.

Marvell sees first-quarter revenue of $2.40 billion, plus or minus 5%. The company also guided first-quarter adjusted earnings of 79 cents per share, plus or minus five cents per share.

Marvell Technology shares jumped 23.2% to $93.25 on Friday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on Marvell Technology following earnings announcement.

  • B of A Securities analyst Vivek Arya …

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about the unknown dismissal: AI is secretly preventing Americans from entering the workforce.

The 92, 000 jobs lost in February’s jobs record, but according to RedBalloon CEO Andrew Crapuchettes, the actual monetary rot is more in the technology than the numbers, which is revealed in the jobs report.

Crapuchettes warns that an unseen layoff is occurring as artificial intelligence systems effectively remove qualified American personnel from the claimant pool, leading to a significant disconnect, which he claims is causing the 4. 4 % unemployment rate and short-term economic “pain”

Crapuchettes told Fox News Digital,” AI is causing a lot of disturbance in the employment market right now. ” Employers are using AI successfully, and ƫhis results įn αn iȵcrease in worker productivity. Part of what AI is doing is what is driving a lot of employee productivity. Businesses don’t need to usȩ as fast, or theყ’re letting people ḑown. And that will only cause a major change in the marketplace. “

It’s also a very unsatisfactory number nevertheless. We’d like to see work reporting constant growth, he added. However, tⱨere are a lot of diverse factoɾs contributing ƫo this. We’re not just seeing the title, though.

Big Digital Businesses BACK TRUMP PLEDGE TO PAY MORE FOR DATA CENTER ELECTRICITY AVAILABLE AFTER SIGNING

According tσ α report releαsed by the Labor Department on Ƒriday, 92, 000 jobs were lost by comρanies in February. That figure was far below what economists polled by LSEG had predicted, who predicted that the economy may create 59, 000 new jobs. The unemployment rate was 4. 4 %, slightly higher than economists had anticipated, which was 4. 3 %.

According to reach activity, there were also significant contractions in federal payrolls, manufacturing, info, construction, transportation, and warehousing, as well as in health care employment.

” Job seekers are applying to even 100 work a moment with their resume and cover letter looking exactly like,” Crapuchettes explained. ” And guess what, I ask? ” AI prefers AI-written begins more. The issue is that AI-written resumes are placed at the top of the stack, and then they interview those candidates, who later discover that great resumes and best employees are not synonymous.

AI excels at producing dull work, but to really possessing insight about a particular person must be distinctly human, he continued. The majority of HR technology today is turning to AI for everyone, which is causing this kind of crazy disruption. So it becomes increasingly difficult for people ƫo ƒind employment because, įn essence, you’re taking a ρretty complicated hμman being and writing it down on a piece σf paper, the “resμme,” aȵd ĄI įs making decisions basȩd on that.

Crapuchettes acknowledges that AI, yet at RedBalloon, has allowed his staff to make three times as much work without adding a single person. This micro-examination of the economic transition is provided by Crapuchettes.

” I fundamentally tripled my executive office without adding any more staff members because of how we’re using AI successfully. ” And that’s a good thing, he said, but in the long run, those are” a bunch of professionals that did not get hired at RedBalloon because we’re using AI effectively. “

Moreover, according to BLS information, the federal government’s employment rate is down 330, 000 work, or 11 %, from its peak in October 2024. Rapuchettes interprets this as a “handcuff” bȩing taken froɱ the private seçtor, which he claimȿ has previouslყ struggled tσ compete with government benefits.

The CEO noted that” I know that I talked to businesses over the past few years and they felt like they were often competing with the federal and state governments for talent. “

He retorted,” You lose all those federal jobs in the short run. ” They lose that money, but as they enter the exclusive market,” I believe that will lead to significant economic growth for America. “

Clicking HERE WILL GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO.

His best counsel to American workers in a tightening job market is to” be AI-enabled,” arguing that actually truck drivers and construction workers must choose AI to maintain their unbreakable skills.

” I detest jumping up on the AI trend, but the reality is that AI-enabled workers are the most frequently requested task across all positions and industries at RedBalloon at the moment. Theɾefore, employers are looking ƒor individuals ωho aren’t scαred to experiment with AI ƫo improve their work effectiveness anḑ efficiency. And clearly that seems strange and strange. However, ƫhe truth is that technology įs boosting productivity iȵ those areas.

Squirrel BUSINESS: MORE INFORMATION

Eric Revell of FOX Business contributed to this statement.

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Genesco Inc. (NYSE:GCO) shares moved higher Friday after the footwear retailer posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly performance and pointed to continued momentum across key banners.

Genesco is a footwear-focused retailer operating more than 1,230 stores and e-commerce sites across North America and the U.K. Its portfolio includes Journeys, Little Burgundy, Schuh, and Johnston & Murphy, while Genesco Brands Group distributes licensed footwear brands such as Wrangler, Dockers, and Starter.

The company also issued a fiscal-year outlook that signalled steady comparable sales growth despite pressure from store closures and license exits.

Quarterly Metrics

The company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $3.74, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $3.58. Quarterly sales of $799.941 million (+7% year over year) outpaced the Street view of $790.525 million.

The overall sales increase was driven by an increase of 10% at Journeys, 9% at Schuh, and 2% at Johnston & Murphy, partially offset by a decrease of 27% or $10 million at Genesco Brands. On a …

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U.S. stocks traded lower midway through trading, with the S&P 500 falling around 1% on Friday.

The Dow traded down 0.99% to 47,479.25 while the NASDAQ fell 0.86% to 22,554.26. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.96% to 6,765.31.

Check This Out: How To Earn $500 A Month From Goldman Sachs Stock Ahead Of Q4 Earnings

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Energy shares rose by 0.5% on Friday.

In trading on Friday, financial stocks dipped by 2.1%.

Top Headline

U.S. retail sales fell by 0.2% from the previous month in January, compared to market estimates of a 0.3% decline.

Equities Trading UP
           

  • Peraso Inc (NASDAQ:PRSO) shares shot up 89% to $1.54 after the company announced InTACT selected its 60 GHz millimeter-wave technology for a new drone Identification Friend or Foe system.
  • Shares of Day One Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:DAWN) got a boost, surging 66% to $21.16 after the company announced it will be acquired by Servier.
  • Marvell Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MRVL) shares were also up, gaining …

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Three of Wall Street’s biggest private credit managers have faced record withdrawal pressure in the span of a month.

The latest is BlackRock Inc (NYSE:BLK), which fell 6% Friday morning after capping redemptions from its Corporate Lending Fund.

The fund received $1.2 billion in withdrawal requests in the first quarter, roughly 9.3% of net asset value. It paid out $620 million and blocked the rest.

Who Else Is Under Pressure

Blackstone Inc (NYSE:BX) lifted its usual 5% redemption cap to 7% earlier this week after its $82 billion BCRED fund saw record 7.9% withdrawal requests.

Blue Owl Capital Inc (NYSE:OWL) permanently halted quarterly redemptions last month and is liquidating $1.4 billion in assets.

Apollo Global Management Inc (NYSE:APO), KKR & Co Inc (NYSE:KKR) and Ares Management Corp (NYSE:ARES) …

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High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG), and it’s important for retail traders to take note.
This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga’s tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in LNG often signals that someone has privileged information.

Today, Benzinga’s options scanner spotted 18 options trades for Cheniere Energy. This is not a typical pattern.

The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 55% bullish and 33% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $61,200, and 17 calls, totaling $1,911,724.

Expected Price Movements

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $110.0 to $340.0 for Cheniere Energy over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Cheniere Energy’s options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in …

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Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Coeur Mining (NYSE:CDE).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with CDE, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 15 uncommon options trades for Coeur Mining.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 53% bullish and 40%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $83,000, and 12 are calls, for a total amount of $1,771,884.

Expected Price Movements

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it’s evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $19.5 and $35.0 for Coeur Mining, spanning the last three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Looking at …

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Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Duolingo. Our analysis of options history for Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL) revealed 18 unusual trades.

Delving into the details, we found 44% of traders were bullish, while 38% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 16 were puts, with a value of $2,199,277, and 2 were calls, valued at $95,144.

Predicted Price Range

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $100.0 to $400.0 for Duolingo over the recent three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Duolingo’s options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Duolingo’s whale activity within a strike price range from $100.0 to $400.0 in the last 30 days.

Duolingo 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

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Looking into the current session, AGNC Investment Inc. (NASDAQ:AGNC) shares are trading at $10.66, after a 2.20% drop. Over the past month, the stock decreased by 6.82%, but over the past year, it actually increased by 4.20%. With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company’s price-to-earnings ratio.

Past Year Chart

AGNC Investment P/E Compared to Competitors

The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company’s market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do …

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Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) is down 4% while Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) dropped 10% over seven days as meme coins struggle — with PENGU (CRYPTO: PENGU) the only exception.

DOGE And SHIB Bleeding

Dogecoin is down 87% from its $0.74 all-time high reached May 8, 2021.

It’s down 2% in 24 hours and 11% in 30 days.

DOGE started 2026 near $0.118, fell to $0.102 by February, and continues declining.

Technically, DOGE is trapped in a descending channel with the Supertrend firmly red and Chaikin Money Flow reading -0.18, signaling institutional money is exiting. 

The upper Bollinger Band near $0.1036 forms key resistance while the lower band around $0.0889 acts as nearest …

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Tether (CRYPTO: USDT) co-led a $7.5 million seed round in Utexo to enable native USDT settlement on Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Lightning Network as CEO Paolo Ardoino said “Bitcoin has always been central to Tether’s long-term vision for USDT.”

The $7.5M Utexo Investment

Tether co-led the round with Big Brain Holdings and Portal Ventures. Franklin Templeton, Maven11 Capital, Fulgur Ventures. Other investors also participated. 

USDT has a supply of $184 billion, making it the world’s most popular dollar-pegged stablecoin.

Utexo’s technology allows USDT transactions to be settled directly on the Bitcoin network, including the first-ever availability of USDT …

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Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz chief economic adviser, is pointing to widening cracks in private credit markets. He said the signs mirror JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon‘s earlier “cockroach” warning — and more “bugs” are now in plain sight.

El-Erian Raises the Termite Question

El-Erian wrote on X on Friday that this week’s private credit news “echoes Jamie Dimon’s recent warning about ‘cockroaches’—the idea that early signs of excesses are likely to be followed by others.”

He listed “valuation gaps and liquidity strains to poor underwriting and fraud” as the “bugs” now emerging.

Then he sharpened the concern: “The big question for markets and the real economy is whether we’re just dealing with cockroaches… or are these termites posing systemic risks?”

El-Erian said he suspects it isn’t a systemic termite issue alone. But he urged investors to watch how private credit interacts with other risks — including “elements of an AI bubble” and “vulnerabilities in certain segments of the global bond market.”

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DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ:DKNG) stock slid slightly on Friday as the company detailed a new fan engagement initiative with Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) through its ESPN platform.

The collaboration aims to connect sports betting tools with ESPN’s popular bracket contests before the upcoming college basketball tournaments.

Partnership Details

Executives from DraftKings and ESPN revealed the initiative during the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

The companies plan to allow users to link sportsbook accounts with ESPN profiles to unlock personalized betting features.

The new feature will debut ahead of the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments. The annual event recently recorded its strongest television audience in more …

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Kazakhstan’s central bank formed a $350 million portfolio from gold and foreign exchange reserves for crypto-related investments starting April, focusing on crypto infrastructure companies and index funds rather than direct Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) allocations.

The $350M Allocation

Governor Timur Suleimenov announced the investment program at a briefing on interest rates Friday. 

“We are currently developing a list of instruments in which we will invest. This includes not only cryptocurrency itself,” Suleimenov said.

The portfolio will include shares of high-tech companies related to cryptocurrencies and digital financial assets, index funds, and other instruments that exhibit similar dynamics to crypto assets. 

Central Bank Deputy Chair Aliya Moldabekova emphasized officials are not planning large direct allocations to cryptocurrencies.

“We are currently selecting companies that …

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Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Western Digital.

Looking at options history for Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) we detected 35 trades.

If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 45% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 34% with bearish.

From the overall spotted trades, 13 are puts, for a total amount of $554,008 and 22, calls, for a total amount of $1,100,047.

Projected Price Targets

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $145.0 to $440.0 for Western Digital over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

In today’s trading context, the average open interest for options of Western Digital stands at 262.62, with a total volume reaching 812.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call …

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Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with UBER, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 9 uncommon options trades for Uber Technologies.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 77% bullish and 22%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $181,852, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $1,329,364.

Projected Price Targets

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $75.0 to $97.5 for Uber Technologies over the recent three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Uber Technologies options trades today is 2964.25 with a total volume of 4,269.00.

In …

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Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Valero Energy. Our analysis of options history for Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) revealed 10 unusual trades.

Delving into the details, we found 70% of traders were bullish, while 20% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 2 were puts, with a value of $205,300, and 8 were calls, valued at $490,230.

Projected Price Targets

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $175.0 to $260.0 for Valero Energy during the past quarter.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Valero Energy’s options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest …

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In the current session, Fortive Inc. (NYSE:FTV) is trading at $55.95, after a 3.59% drop. Over the past month, the stock fell by 6.94%, and in the past year, by 0.88%. With performance like this, long-term shareholders are more likely to start looking into the company’s price-to-earnings ratio.

Past Year Chart

A Look at Fortive P/E Relative to Its Competitors

The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company’s EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company’s current performance against it’s past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as S&P 500. A higher P/E indicates that investors expect the company to …

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Reitar Logtech Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:RITR) shares are up on Friday following the announcement of a strategic equity investment agreement worth up to $60 million.

Strategic Equity Investment Agreement

Under the terms of the agreement, Reitar will issue up to 15 million newly issued ordinary shares at a subscription price of $4.00 per share.

The company plans to allocate at least 92% of the investment proceeds to a consortium to acquire a controlling equity interest in a prominent international logistics company.

The investment agreement follows a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Equator Capital Management SPC, which indicates strong investor confidence in Reitar’s growth strategy.

The company aims …

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Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY) will release earnings results for its third quarter, before the opening bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Los Angeles, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share, up from $1.19 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Korn Ferry’s quarterly revenue is $695.12 million, versus $668.73 million a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

On March 5, Korn Ferry increases quarterly dividend from 48 cents to 55 cents per share.

Korn Ferry shares rose 3% to close at $65.08 on Thursday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company …

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Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Alphabet.

Looking at options history for Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) we detected 24 trades.

If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 33% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 58% with bearish.

From the overall spotted trades, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $107,475 and 22, calls, for a total amount of $1,358,014.

Predicted Price Range

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it’s evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $290.0 and $350.0 for Alphabet, spanning the last three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In today’s trading context, the average open interest for options of Alphabet stands at 3881.84, with a total volume reaching 5,226.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Alphabet, situated within the strike price corridor from $290.0 to $350.0, throughout the last 30 days.

Alphabet Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Options Call Chart

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Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with BE, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 17 uncommon options trades for Bloom Energy.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 52% bullish and 35%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $722,060, and 11 are calls, for a total amount of $496,669.

Predicted Price Range

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $55.0 to $250.0 for Bloom Energy over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data …

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Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with AAL, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 8 uncommon options trades for American Airlines Group.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 25% bullish and 62%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $698,253, and 4 are calls, for a total amount of $145,695.

Expected Price Movements

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $10.0 to $15.0 for American Airlines Group over …

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In the current session, the stock is trading at $11.95, after a 0.60% increase. Over the past month, Crescent Energy Inc. (NYSE:CRGY) stock increased by 16.32%, and in the past year, by 14.28%. With performance like this, long-term shareholders are optimistic but others are more likely to look into the price-to-earnings ratio to see if the stock might be overvalued.

Past Year Chart

Crescent Energy P/E Compared to Competitors

The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company’s EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company’s current performance against it’s past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as S&P 500. A higher P/E indicates that …

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flyExclusive (AMEX:FLYX) held its fourth-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday. Below is the complete transcript from the call.

Benzinga APIs provide real-time access to earnings call transcripts and financial data. Visit https://www.benzinga.com/apis/ to learn more.

View the webcast at https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=Z2yzIOWV

Full Transcript

OPERATOR

Greetings and welcome to the flyExclusive fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in your listen only mode. As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded. If anyone should require operator assistance, please press Star zero on your telephone keypad. It’s now my pleasure to turn the call over to C.J. Neal, Investor Relations. Please go ahead sir. Thank you operator.

C.J. Neal

Good afternoon and thank you for joining flyExclusive’s fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings conference call. Joining me on the call today is Jim Seagrave, flyExclusive’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer and Brad Garner, our Chief Financial Officer. We announced fourth quarter and year end financial results this morning before the market opened along with the filing of our Form 10-K for the year end December 31, 2025. We’ll be providing certain non-GAAP information during today’s discussion. Important disclosures about this information and reconciliation of the non-GAAP information to comparable GAAP information is included in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC and is available on our investor relations website. In addition, this discussion might include forward looking statements. Actual results might differ materially from any number of reasons including risk factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in the press release covering forward looking statements. Rather than rereading this information, we are going to incorporate it by reference in our prepared remarks. And with that let me turn the

Jim Seagrave

call over to Jim Seagrave. Thank you. Good morning and thank you for joining us. 2025 was a turning point for flyExclusive. Over the last two years we made deliberate decisions to transform this company, modernizing the fleet, eliminating non performing aircraft, restructuring costs and raising our execution standards across the organization. Those decisions were not always easy, but in the fourth quarter the results validated the strategy. We delivered 105 million in fourth quarter revenue up 15% year over year. We generated $6.8 million of positive adjusted EBITDA, our first positive quarter since becoming a public company. That milestone matters, but what matters more is how we achieved it. We didn’t grow the fleet to get there, we improved the fleet and we executed at a higher level across the board. Let me walk through what changed. Last year we removed 28 non performing aircraft. We added seven highly profitable aircraft. Overall we flew 13% more flight hours while operating 14% fewer aircraft. Our revenue was up 15% to 376 million for the year. Our gross profit was up 53%. In 2025 we flew over 74,000 flight hours including over 20,000 in the fourth quarter. We are now the number one charter operator in the United States and the overall number three operator. When including fractional turboprop and management operators, core fleet utilization increased approximately 23% per aircraft to an average of 73 hours per plane over the full year. And we achieved this performance in the face of all the non performing aircraft we have been eliminating. Dispatch availability improved roughly 7% year over year. And let me remind you that every 1% improvement at our current size translates to 2.5 million per year on our bottom line. To drive this Initiative, we put 12 mobile service unit maintenance trucks in place late in 2025 and expect to double this fleet over the next six months. Adjusted EBITDA margin improved nearly 1500 basis points. This is not a seasonal or cyclical improvement. This is structural improvement. We removed drag from the system and the system responded. SG&A as a percentage of revenue declined approximately 10% generating more than $8 million in annualized savings. Revenue per SGA employee increased approximately 28% generating 1.9 million per person and revenue per employee overall increased 15% to $800,000 per person. Contractually committed demand hours from our fractional club and partner programs increased approximately 33% again all on a size A fleet size 14%. Smaller operating losses from the non performing aircraft fleet declined from more than 3 million per month at the beginning of 2024 to approximately break even today. The reset is largely complete, but we are far from done. Now we scale from strength before moving forward. I want to recognize our team. We ask this organization to execute with discipline, focus and a willingness to change. They delivered. They didn’t just improve results, they changed the trajectory of this company. Every department executed from accounting to flight control, maintenance control technicians, pilots, sales services and the management teams. The fourth quarter was an example of what great teamwork across the board looks like. I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished. I also want to thank our investors for their continued support and trust. We are all focused on delivering results for you and our customers looking forward. While not providing formal long term guidance. I want to be clear about our trajectory and future direction. First quarter 2026 will soundly exceed first quarter 2025, but it will not exceed our fourth quarter 2025 results as the fourth quarter is always our strongest quarter and we executed exceptionally well. But as we look forward quarter by quarter, we expect every quarter of 2026 to meaningfully outperform the corresponding quarter of 2025. And to put a little historical context on this, over the last eight quarters we have improved our profitability every quarter by an average of $3.7 million per quarter. That is the trajectory we are on. We are continuing to execute and with the drag of the non performing fleet behind us, fully expect to grow the number of aircraft flight hours and improve every financial performance metric in 2026, just like we did in 2025. Let me ground these expectations in some numbers. In the first quarter of 2025, adjusted EBITDA was a negative 12.5 million and management adjusted EBITDA was a negative 6.4 million. Today, more than 2/3 of the way through the first quarter of 2026, we believe it’s appropriate to provide some directional commentary. Based on the current performance trend. We expect to reduce our first quarter 2026 loss by approximately 50% compared to the first quarter of 2025, continuing the positive trajectory we have been delivering over the last two years. This improvement reflects structural change. Improved fleet economics, higher utilization, lower SGA and stronger demand from every revenue channel. We expect to improve our dispatch reliability another 10% in 2026, which will translate to another 25 million in annualized bottom line performance improvement. We expect to increase our revenue per SGA employee more than 15% to well more than 2 million per employee in 20. This is not formal guidance, it’s simply transparency around our trajectory and our momentum. And the momentum is clearly moving in the right direction. With the fleet reset largely complete, we are focused on disciplined growth. The government shut down late last year that delayed our plan to reach 10 Challenger aircraft by year end 2025. But …

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Rand Capital (NASDAQ:RAND) released fourth-quarter financial results and hosted an earnings call on Thursday. Read the complete transcript below.

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Full Transcript

OPERATOR

Greetings. Welcome to Rand Capital Corporation’s fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 financial results conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. Please note this conference is being recorded. I will now turn the conference over to Craig Michalik, Investor Relations for rand. Thank you. You may begin.

Craig Michalik

Thank you and good afternoon everyone. We appreciate your interest in Rand Capital and for joining us today for our fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results conference call. On the line with me are Dan Pemberthy, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Margaret Brechtel, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. A copy of the release and slides that accompany our conversation is available@Rand Capitalcapital.com if you’re following along with the slide deck, please turn to Slide 2 where I’d like to point out some important information. As you are likely aware, we may make forward looking statements during this presentation. These statements apply to future events that are subject to risks and uncertainties as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ from where we are today. You can find a summary of these risks and uncertainties and other factors in the earnings release and other documents filed by the Company with the securities and Exchange Commission. These documents can be found on our website or at sec.gov during today’s call, we’ll also discuss some non-GAAP financial measures. We believe these will be useful in evaluating our performance. You should not consider the presentation of this additional information in isolation or as a substitute for results. In accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting principles, we have provided reconciliations of non-GAAP measures with comparable GAAP measures in the tables that accompany today’s earnings release. With that, please turn to Slide 3 and I’ll hand the discussion over to Dan.

Dan Pemberthy

Thank you, Craig and good afternoon everyone. Before getting into specific numbers, I want to step back and frame 2025 at a high level. This was a year of disciplined execution and capital allocation. We operated in a market where M and A activity was uneven, senior lenders remained selective and at times temperamental, and New Deal origination across the BDC sector was sporadic. In that environment, we needed to prioritize balance sheet strength, liquidity and risk management over growth for growth’s sake. The result is that we closed the year with more than 23 million of total liquidity and no debt outstanding. That gives us significant flexibility and allows us to move decisively as market conditions improve and compelling opportunities present themselves. During the year, we generated approximately $17.8 million from repayments and select realizations while deploying $6.6 million into new and follow-on investments. That capital recycling is core to our model. It strengthens the balance sheet in periods of muted origination which we have experienced recently while positioning us to redeploy into attractive income producing assets as conditions normalize. Net asset value per share at year end was $17.57. While valuation adjustments during the year did impact NAV, particularly related to Tilson earlier in the year, we believe we have taken a transparent and conservative approach to these valuations. Most importantly, we continue to deliver meaningful income to shareholders during 2025. So as we move into 2026, our posture is one of strength and patience. We are positioned to scale the portfolio prudently and pursue attractive risk adjusted returns as the MA environment continues to evolve. With that overview, let’s turn to shareholder returns on Slide 4. Delivering meaningful cash returns to shareholders remains central to our strategy and 2025 was a strong example of that commitment. During the year we paid out total cash dividends of $1.72 per share. That includes our quarterly dividends which were consistent in 2025 as well as the special dividend declared in the fourth quarter. Specifically, our fourth quarter dividend totaled $0.85 per share comprised of the regular dividend of $0.29 plus a special dividend of $0.56 per share. This special dividend reflects the success of our capital recycling efforts during the year. As we monetize investments and strengthen the balance sheet, we evaluated the appropriate balance between retaining capital for deployment or redeployment, i.e. and returning excess capital to shareholders. And building on our consistency, last week we also announced our first quarter 2026 dividend of $0.29 per share. That declaration reflects our belief in the underlying earnings power of the portfolio, anticipated deal origination in 2026 and the durability of our income stream as we enter this new year amidst a still challenging yet seemingly improving credit cycle. What I think is important here is the broader message. Even in a year where repayments outpaced originations and where the market environments required patience, we were able to maintain our 2025 regular dividend, deliver a meaningful special dividend and enter 2026 with strong liquidity and no leverage. Thus, our near term actions are focusing on replacing our repaid debt instruments from 2025 with new portfolio debt investments. Across the BDC sector, investors are increasingly focused on dividend sustainability and the balance sheet flexibility. We believe our actions demonstrate that our model is designed to support both of these. Please turn to Slide 5 for …

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Gap (NYSE:GAP) released fourth-quarter financial results and hosted an earnings call on Thursday. Read the complete transcript below.

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Full Transcript

OPERATOR

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome everyone to The Gap Inc. Fourth quarter 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. For those analysts who wish to participate in the question and answer session after the presentation, you may now press star 1 to enter the Q&A queue. As a reminder, please limit your questions to one per participant. If anyone should require assistance during the call, please press the star key followed by the zero key on your touchtone phone. I would now like to introduce your host, Whitney Notaro, Head of Investor Relations.

Whitney Notaro

Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to Gap Inc.’s fourth quarter fiscal 2025 earnings conference call. Before we begin, I’d like to remind you that the information made available on this conference call contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks that could cause our actual results to be materially different. For information on factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward looking statements, please refer to the cautionary statements contained in our latest earnings release. The risk factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2025, Quarterly Reports on Form 10Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission On May 30, 2025, August 29, 2025 and November 26, 2025 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on gapinc.com these forward looking statements are based on information as of today, March 5, 2026, and we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward looking statements. Our latest earnings release and the accompanying materials available on gapinc.com also include descriptions and, where available, reconciliations of financial measures not consistent with generally accepted accounting principles. All market share data referenced today will be from Circana’s US apparel consumer service for the 12 months ending January 2026, unless otherwise stated. Joining me on the call today are Chief Executive Officer Richard Dickson and Chief Financial Officer Katrina O’Connell Connell. With that, I’ll turn the call over to Richard.

Richard Dickson

Thanks Whitney and good afternoon everyone. I am pleased to report that we delivered another successful fourth quarter in line with our expectations and marking another year of meaningful progress for Gap Inc. In the quarter we achieved comparable sales of 3%, our eighth consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales, while once again winning across all income cohorts, we continued to do what we said we were going to do, underscoring the growing resilience, durability and potential of our portfolio. Reflecting on the full year, 2025 continued to demonstrate our ability to perform while we transform even in a highly dynamic environment as we execute on our strategic priorities and deliver consistent performance while fixing the fundamentals through the disciplined execution of our brand reinvigoration playbook, we are building a clear track record of reliable growth, proving our three largest brands can deliver quarter after quarter. Gap Inc. Achieved its second consecutive year of top line growth. Full year net sales grew 2% at the high end of our outlook, fueled by comparable sales growth of 3%, building on last year’s 1% net sales growth and 3% compared. Our playbook continues to fuel our portfolio with Gap brand delivering its third consecutive year of positive comp sales and both Old Navy and Banana Republic reporting their second consecutive year of positive comp sales. We delivered one of our highest gross margins margins in the last 25 years and generated $1.1 billion in full-year operating income, a clear reflection of the strength of our platform and the financial and operational rigor embedded across the organization. Disciplined execution throughout the year further strengthened our balance sheet, enabling us to end 2025 with a cash balance of $3 billion, our highest in nearly two decades. Based on our strong financial position and confidence in our continued progress, the Board recently approved an increase in our first quarter dividend and a new $1 billion share repurchase authorization. I am proud of the resilience this team has shown and what we have achieved together. This performance gives me confidence as we continue to move forward. That confidence is rooted in something deeper than any single quarter or year since 1969 when the fishers opened a single store to bridge a generation Gap Gap Inc. Has proven that purpose and profit can coexist, taking pride in doing what’s right for our company, our customers and our communities and building brands that matter. It’s that legacy of bridging Gaps and leading with purpose that brings us to today. We have a unique opportunity with the legal settlement received to pledge a $50 million charitable donation to a combination of the Gap foundation and our donor advised fund. This marks a true legacy moment, honoring a heritage rooted in shared humanity and ensuring that our commitment to create a better world endures for generations to come. On today’s call, I’ll discuss our fourth quarter performance by brand and share how we’re thinking about 2026 in the context of our strategy. Then Katrina will walk you through our detailed financial results and outlook, after which we will open the call for questions starting with Old Navy as we execute on our reinvigoration playbook. Old Navy is becoming a proven growth engine with consistency and scale that Drives Meaningful value Fourth-quarter comp sales grew 3%, building on last year’s 3% comp growth and reflecting the brand’s fifth consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales. Old Navy ranks as a top three brand in nine of the 10 largest apparel categories and gained share in all five of the largest categories on a rolling 12 basis. Old Navy continues to win at the intersection of great product quality and price. The brand’s focused pursuit of leadership in active denim and Kids and Baby drove strong performance across each of these categories. As the brand continued to innovate and excite our customers, both active and denim continued to grow. Share and the strong execution of our Disney partnership has positioned Old Navy as Disney’s number one apparel brand direct to consumer partner in the United States. The brand has also continued to evolve its media mix model to meet consumers where they are, growing its presence on social media platforms and significantly increasing creator volume. With over 15,000 creators in the fourth quarter, almost three times the number of creators last year. Looking ahead, we believe Old Navy is well positioned and we’re confident in the brand’s ability to deliver consistently, largely in line with its performance over the past two years. Now let’s turn to Gap. Gap’s momentum accelerated meaningfully in the fourth quarter, delivering comp sales up 7% on top of last year’s 7% comp growth, marking its ninth consecutive quarter of positive comps. Returning to its powerful heritage, the brand is once again bridging the generation gap, continuing to attract Gen Z while growing its core customer, and that multi generational appeal is showing up in the results. Gap at its best is a true original, a pop culture brand that celebrates individuality united through music genres and collaborations that bridge generations and cultures. We’re leaning into that heritage with intention. From red carpet moments, most recently dressing Leon Thomas for the Grammys and Claire Danes for the Golden Globes to co hosting a star studded super bowl event in San Francisco, to spotlighting emerging artists from Tyla and Troye Sivan to Kat’s Eye and Siena Spiro, Gap is showing up in culture in ways that are authentic and relevant. In the fourth quarter, the team executed our playbook with fluency which was demonstrated through their Give your Gift holiday campaign and culturally relevant collaborations supported by a highly evolved media mix. We saw particular strength in key categories like fleece including logo, denim and sleepwear. As brand relevance has increased, we’re also proving elasticity. This was our second quarter of meaningfully pulling back discounting, driven by on trend product and strong brand heat, with a focus on elevating the customer shopping experience. New store models continue to outperform the fleet, giving us confidence in the opportunity to accelerate these formats in 2026. I’m proud to say that Gap, our namesake brand of 56 years, is firmly back in growth mode. Banana Republic delivered a 4% comp, building on a 4% comp last year with sharper merchandising and execution, Banana Republic has returned to its roots as a storytelling brand, expressed through the lens of the modern explorer. You can see that story coming to life more cohesively and comprehensively through our assortments, merchandising and how we show up in culture and consumers have taken notice,. There’s greater synergy between men’s and women’s with head to toe wardrobing guided by a clear style guide and design language that’s informing design, presentation and storytelling. Leather, suede, cashmere, and texture, all synonymous with Banana Republic’s design language, are reinforcing the brand’s distinctive point of view. This is a great example of the differentiation of our portfolio coming alive and we look forward to getting even sharper with more precision, more narrative led merchandising and a dialed up fashion quotient that underscores Banana Republic’s unique brand DNA. Shifting to Athleta While Athleta remains a work in progress, we took decisive action in the second half of 2025 appoint Maggie Gauger to lead its reinvigoration. The active category remains strategically important and resilient even amid disruption, customers continue to make fashion choices that are active oriented. Within that landscape, Athleta holds a meaningful position as the number five women’s active brand with distinction as a women’s only brand rooted in quality, performance and design intent exclusively for her. And while Athleta sales trend has been disappointing, we’ve accumulated critical learnings and are acting on them with intention. We are re architecting the assortment, building key items into enduring franchises and reorganizing the brand around consumer insights. Maggie is going deep with the team, even meeting with Athleta’s founder to reconnect the brand to its original purpose and establish clarity and alignment around the brand’s identity. With the strength of our portfolio and our proven playbook, 2026 will be about positioning the brand for sustainable growth in the years ahead. Progress will take time, but I am confident we are attracting the right talent to rebuild Athleta in 2025. The power of our portfolio became clear as our playbook successfully delivered consistent growth across our three largest brands. This was reflected in the metrics that matter, the strength of our product and in the cultural narratives that are resonating with consumers. Moving at the speed of culture takes focus and discipline, and we’re working together with clarity and conviction to continue to advance our strategy. As we’ve shared, we’ve been very purposeful in the sequential order of our transformation. Over the last two years, we have focused on fixing the fundamentals, maintaining financial and operational rigor, reinvigorating our brands, strengthening our platform and energizing our culture. The meaningful progress we’ve made across these strategic priorities has enabled us to consistently perform while we transform, strengthening our financial model and driving shareholder value as we move into the next phase of our transformation. Building Momentum Our primary focus will be growing our core apparel business through continuous improvement driven by disciplined execution with better product marketing and storytelling. In parallel, we will be building on the strength of our apparel business by thoughtfully seeding growth accelerators and new capabilities. We are beginning with expansions into adjacent lifestyle categories such as beauty and accessories, two categories that are underdeveloped in our portfolio but are meaningful to our consumers and sizable in the industry. We will also continue advancing our fashion tainment, platform and technology capabilities, all with the intent to build scale, relevance and revenue over time. Let me take a moment to share more about each of these, Starting with Beauty as discussed in the past, beauty is one of the fastest growing, most resilient retail categories in the U.S. and our customer insights reinforce strong engagement. Our research suggests that for other fashion apparel businesses that have entered the beauty space, beauty makes up anywhere from 5% to 20% of their business. We believe this is a good indicator of the category’s potential in our business over the longer term. In 2025, we introduced the consumer to our expanded beauty assortment at Old Navy and are making refinements based on our customer feedback. In 2026, we’ll be deepening this engagement with consumers and look forward to reintroducing a fragrance assortment at Gap this summer. Turning to Accessories, our accessory category performed well in 2025, reinforcing our confidence in this expansion. According to Euromonitor, this category has a $15 billion total addressable market and today Gap Inc. Represents just 1% of the market share. Consumers are looking for us to be more pronounced in accessories and we see an exciting opportunity to become a destination for wardrobing. We look forward to launching an expanded accessory line for holiday. We believe the beauty and accessory categories have the added benefit of serving as margin and traffic drivers that strengthen our brands and deepen customer connection and build lasting loyalty. We have appointed proven industry experts to lead each of these areas with focus and discipline. Our fashiontainment platform is another area we will be focusing on in 2026. Today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel, they’re buying brands that tell stories and drive cultural conversations. As we continue to build our brands, we see entertainment as a powerful growth lever. Last month Pam Kaufman joined Gap Inc. As Chief Entertainment Officer, adding focused leadership, expertise and relationships across entertainment and licensing. The fashion tainment platform we’re building is about amplifying and scaling what is already working, expanding licensing, strengthening strategic partnerships and aligning our assortments more intentionally with the entertainment calendar. One capability we believe can be better monetized is our loyalty program. Gap Inc. Has one of the largest programs in U.S. apparel retail with nearly 40 million active members. Last week we launched Encore, our newly reimagined loyalty program, setting a new standard for loyalty in the apparel space. Encore brings our fashiontainment platform to life by turning purchases into experiences that give members access to fashion, entertainment and the moments they care about. Across our portfolio of brands, it represents a shift from a traditional points based loyalty program to a broader engagement platform. By bringing fashion, entertainment and access together, we are building momentum, deepening relationships and creating long term value across our portfolio. Technology is another platform capability where we see opportunity, especially with AI. Our AI strategy is focused on three Enable, Optimize and reinvent. Enable is about enterprise wide adoption, equipping our teams with AI tools that improve day to day productivity, streamline workflows and build AI fluency. Across the organization. Optymyze focuses on high impact process improvements to drive efficiency, accuracy and speed. Re Invent is about reimagining our customer product and enterprise journeys end to end. We are focusing on areas where AI can meaningfully reduce customer friction, increase predictability across product to market and unlock productivity within the enterprise. As we close the first chapter of our transformation and step into the next, we do so with a brand portfolio that is consistently growing healthy gross margins, disciplined expense management, sustained bottom line performance and strong cash on hand. Looking ahead, we have a focused, energized team that believes in the future we’re building, our aspirations remain high and we’re positioned to deliver. I’m excited about the opportunity ahead and confident in our ability to capture it. I’ll now turn the call to Katrina for a closer look at our financials.

Katrina O’Connell

Thank you Richard and thanks everyone for joining us this afternoon. Execution of our strategic priorities continues to drive results and 2025 was a strong year of financial performance. We grew net sales 2%, gaining market share for the year as we demonstrated relevance to customers of all income levels. It’s exciting to see our playbook driving the second consecutive year of top line growth fueled by positive comp sales across our largest brands, Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic. The rigor we’ve developed is delivering reliable profit performance with another historically high gross margin of 40.8%, operating profit of $1.1 billion and an operating margin …

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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with new information.

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 nonfarm payrolls in February 2026, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The figure marked a sharp slowdown from January’s downwardly revised 126,000 job gains and came well below economists’ expectations of 59,000.

The unemployment rate surprisingly ticked up from 4.3% to 4.4%, above forecasts of 4.3%.

Meanwhile, average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month-over-month, matching January’s pace and topping consensus estimates of 0.3%.

Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down.

Why US Non Farm Payrolls Fell In February

The February payroll decline largely reflects sector-specific disruptions and continued weakness in government and information-sector employment, rather than broad-based layoffs across the economy.

Health care employment dropped by 28,000 jobs, driven primarily by strike activity …

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(Editor’s note: The future prices of benchmark tracking ETFs, the lede, the economic data, and the headline were updated in the story.)

U.S. stock futures fell on Friday following Thursday’s negative close. Futures of the major benchmark indices were lower amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict.

The February U.S. employment report showed total nonfarm payrolls edged down by 92,000, falling short of the modest gains anticipated by economists. Despite the dip in payrolls, the unemployment rate held relatively steady at 4.4%. On the inflation front, average hourly earnings for private nonfarm workers rose by 0.4% to $37.32 in February, bringing the year-over-year increase to 3.8%.

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.17%, and the two-year bond was at 3.61%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 97.3% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates unchanged in March.

Index Performance (+/-)
Dow Jones -0.31%
S&P 500 -0.41%
Nasdaq 100 -0.49%
Russell 2000 -0.48%

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, were lower in premarket on Friday. The SPY was down 0.56% at $677.44, while the QQQ declined 0.77% to $604.25.

Stocks In Focus

Costco Wholesale

  • Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST) fell 0.23% in premarket on Friday despite reporting better-than-expected financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 after the close on Thursday.
  • COST maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium, and long terms, with a poor value ranking, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings for COST.

Marvell Technology

  • Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) jumped 11.92% after reporting strong fourth-quarter financial results for fiscal 2026 on Thursday. …

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The U.S. economy shed jobs unexpectedly in February as employers pulled back to start 2026 amid economic uncertainty.

The Labor Department on Wednesday reported that employers shed 92,000 jobs in February. That figure was well below the expectations of economists polled by LSEG, who estimated the economy would add 59,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate was 4.4%, slightly higher than economists’ expectations of 4.3%.

Revisions were made to the payroll numbers for the prior two months, with December’s report revised down by 65,000 jobs from a gain of 48,000 to a loss of 17,000, and January’s report revised down by 4,000 from a gain of 130,000 to 126,000.

Taken together, employment in December and January was 69,000 jobs lower than previously reported.

Private payrolls shed 86,000 jobs in February when economists expected a gain of 65,000 jobs for the month. January’s gain of 172,000 jobs was also revised down to 146,000.

Government payrolls contracted by 6,000 jobs in February. Job losses by the federal government (-10,000) and local governments (-1,000) were partially offset by job gains among state governments (+5,000). Federal government employment is down 330,000 jobs, or 11%, from its October 2024 peak.

The manufacturing sector lost 12,000 jobs in February, well below the expectations of LSEG economists, who predicted a gain of 3,000 jobs.

Healthcare employment declined by 28,000 jobs in February following an increase of 77,000 jobs for the sector in January. Physicians’ offices lost 37,400 jobs in February, primarily due to strike activity, while hospitals added 11,600 jobs. Over the last 12 months, healthcare averaged a gain of 36,000 jobs per month.

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE SHOWED CONSUMER PRICE GROWTH REMAINED ELEVATED IN DECEMBER

The information sector lost 11,000 jobs in February, continuing a downward trend after averaging a loss of 5,000 jobs in the last 12 months.

The construction sector lost 11,000 jobs in February after posting a gain of 48,000 jobs in January.

Social assistance employers added 9,400 jobs in February, driven by individual and family services (+12,400).

Transportation and warehousing employment declined by 11,300 jobs. A loss among couriers and messengers (-16,600) was partially offset by a gain in air transportation (+5,100). Employment in the sector is down 157,000 jobs, or 2.4%, from a February 2025 peak.

US ECONOMY GREW SLOWER THAN EXPECTED IN FOURTH QUARTER

The number of long-term unemployed, defined as those who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more, was little changed at 1.9 million in February but is up from 1.5 million a year ago. The long-term unemployed accounted for 25.3% of all unemployed people in February.

The number of people who were employed part-time for economic reasons decreased by 477,000 to 4.4 million in February. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part-time because their hours were reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.

“There are a handful of things that may have distorted February’s data. Winter storms may explain the weakness in construction, for example, and nursing strikes might have dragged on healthcare,” said Elyse Ausenbaugh, head of investment strategy at JPMorgan Wealth Management. 

“Still, the pace of job gains over the last few months is still dramatically slower than it was in 2024 and much of 2025. This is going to make it harder for the Fed to sell the labor market stabilization narrative that’s been used to justify patience on further rate cuts. Add higher oil prices given conflict in the Middle East and renewed tariff uncertainty to the convoluted jobs market story, and you have a tricky, stagflationary mix of risks in the backdrop for the Fed,” Ausenbaugh added.

FED DISSENT GROWS AS SOME OFFICIALS WEIGH RETURN TO INTEREST RATE HIKES AMID STUBBORN INFLATION

Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial, said, “After lackluster job gains in 2025, the labor market is coming to a standstill. The three-month average is 6,000 and the six-month average is negative for the fourth time in five months.” 

“Looking ahead, we should expect the unemployment rate to rise. I don’t expect the Fed to act sooner than June, but if the labor market deteriorates faster than expected, officials could cut rates on April 29,” Roach added.

The latest jobs data did little to shift the market’s expectation that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged when policymakers meet on March 17-18.

The CME FedWatch tool shows a 95.5% probability that the Fed will leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75%. 

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Markets opened lower on Friday and declined further in response to the February jobs report data before paring some of those losses as the trading session progressed later into the morning.

After paring deeper losses, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.27%, while the S&P 500 was down 1.1% and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.92%.

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The SEC dismissed all charges against Tron (CRYPTO: TRX) founder Justin Sun and related entities on March 5, with Rainberry paying a $10 million civil penalty to settle the 2023 lawsuit.

The Settlement Terms

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a Final Judgment dismissing all claims against Sun, the Tron Foundation, and the BitTorrent Foundation.

Rainberry, formerly BitTorrent Inc., was ordered to pay a $10 million civil penalty to the SEC.

The dismissal is with prejudice, meaning the regulator cannot bring the same claims again. 

The settlement includes no admission or denial of wrongdoing. Rainberry agreed to a permanent injunction barring future violations of certain securities laws.

Sun responded on X: “Today’s resolution brings closure, but I never stopped building. I will continue to focus on accelerating innovation in the United States and around the world and look forward to working with the SEC to develop guidance and regulations for crypto …

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On CNBC’s “Halftime Report Final Trades,” Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, chief executive officer of Gilman Hill Asset Management, LLC, said FLEX LNG Ltd. (NYSE:FLNG) has a 10% yield.

On the earnings front, Flex LNG, on Feb. 11, reported fourth-quarter earnings of 43 cents per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of 46 cents per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $87.537 million which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $85.460 million.

Kari Firestone, executive chairman Aureus Asset Management, picked NextEra Energy, Inc. …

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Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) will release earnings for its second quarter after the closing bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of $6.17 per share. That’s down from $6.56 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Vail Resorts’ quarterly revenue is $1.11 billion (it reported $1.14 billion last year), according to Benzinga Pro.

Jefferies analyst David Katz upgraded Vail Resorts from Hold to Buy on Jan. 13 and raised the price target from $159 to $165.

With the recent buzz around Vail Resorts, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends too. As of now, Vail Resorts has an annual dividend yield of 6.33%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of $2.22 per share ($8.88 a year).  

So, how can investors exploit its dividend …

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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.

Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga’s extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy.

Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the materials sector.

Mosaic Co (NYSE:MOS)

  • Dividend Yield: 3.35%
  • Barclays analyst Benjamin Theurer downgraded the stock from Overweight to Equal-Weight with a price target of $31 on March 3, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 59%.
  • Scotiabank analyst Ben Isaacson maintained a Sector Outperform rating and slashed the price target from $36 to $35 on March 2, 2026. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 63%
  • Recent News: On Feb. 24, Mosaic reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.
  • Benzinga Pro’s …

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Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our analyst ratings page.

  • B of A Securities raised Marvell Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MRVL) price target from $90 to $110. B of A Securities analyst Vivek Arya upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. Marvell Technology shares closed at $75.68 on Thursday. See how other analysts view this stock.
  • Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut the price target for Hippo Holdings Inc (NYSE:HIPO) from $34 to $33. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Thomas McJoynt-Griffith maintained a Market Perform rating. Hippo Holdings shares closed at $27.16 on Thursday. See how other analysts view this stock.
  • Piper Sandler raised Karman Holdings Inc (NYSE:KRMN) price target from $110 to $127. Piper Sandler analyst Clarke Jeffries upgraded the stock from Neutral to Overweight. Karman shares closed at $97.14 on Thursday. See how other analysts view this stock.
  • Morgan Stanley …

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On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published recall notices involving Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) affecting more than 1.7 million vehicles, according to official filings on the agency’s website.

Ford Recall Affects 1.7 Million Vehicles

In one recall, 849,310 vehicles, including 2021–2026 Ford Bronco and 2021–2024 Ford Edge models, are affected after the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) may overheat and shut down.

NHTSA said the malfunction could prevent the rearview camera image from displaying, reducing visibility behind the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will update the APIM software either during a service visit or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 30, 2026.

A second recall impacts 889,950 vehicles, including 2020–2022 Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair models as well as 2020–2024 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs.

In these vehicles, the rearview camera image may flip or invert when the vehicle is placed in reverse, failing to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 on rear visibility.

The recall notice states the remedy is currently under development, with interim owner notification letters expected …

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In a bold move that has captured the attention of Wall Street, Michael Burry, the famed “Big Short” investor, has publicly urged Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) to acquire AI firm Midjourney to defend its dominance in the creative software market.

Posting on X, Burry stated that “Adobe $ADBE should buy Midjourney” and other founder-led creative firms to stabilize its position.

Leveraging his reputation for spotting market pivots, Burry argued that the software giant must act decisively to maintain its edge, telling the company: “@Adobe, you have the cash flow to protect your franchises.”

It delivered record operating cash flows of over $10 billion in the previous fiscal year on Dec. 10, 2025.

The recommendation comes as Adobe faces a “brutal 2026,” with shares down nearly 20% year-to-date. The stock has been battered, following the release of Google’s Nano Banana 2, a free model offering “Pro-grade” quality that directly threatens Adobe’s Firefly and Creative Cloud subscriptions.

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Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our analyst ratings page.

  • B of A Securities analyst Tal Liani upgraded Ciena Corp (NYSE:CIEN) from Neutral to Buy and raised the price target from $260 to $355. Ciena shares closed at $299.30 on Thursday. See how other analysts view this stock.
  • Piper Sandler analyst Clarke Jeffries upgraded Karman Holdings Inc (NYSE:KRMN) from Neutral to Overweight and boosted the price target from $110 to $127. Karman shares closed …

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Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) was down in premarket trading Friday.

U.S. stock futures also fell Friday ahead of February employment data, with Nasdaq 100 futures dropping 0.49%.

South Korean Memory Stocks Pull Micron Down

Micron is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world, specializing in memory and storage chips. Its primary revenue stream comes from dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, and it also has minority exposure to NAND flash chips.

Rival memory chipmakers tumbled on the Korea Exchange on Friday.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTC:SSNLF) fell 1.77%, closing at 188,200 South Korean won. SK Hynix Inc dropped 1.81% to …

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FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCEL) will release earnings results for its first quarter, before the opening bell on Monday, March 9.

Analysts expect the Danbury, Connecticut-based company to report a quarterly loss at 68 cents per share, versus a year-ago loss of $1.44 per share. The consensus estimate for FuelCell Energy’s quarterly revenue is $42.21 million, versus $19 million a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

On Jan. 20, FuelCell Energy announced a strategic collaboration with Sustainable Development Capital to address the surging power demands of the global data center market.

FuelCell Energy shares fell 5.7% to close at $8.08 on Thursday.

Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the Analyst Stock Ratings page. …

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The Trump administration’s replacement tariff will generate only a fraction of the revenue lost after the Supreme Court struck down most of its 2025 levies, according to a new analysis, leaving the federal government staring at a potential $1.7 trillion hole over the next decade.

After the court ruled in February that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful, President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary 10% broad-based import tariff. Trump has since announced plans to raise it to 15%, though that change has not yet been formally enacted.

A Bigger Gap Over The Decade

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), using the Congressional Budget Office’s tariff model, estimated in a report released Wednesday, that the 10% tariff will raise roughly $35 billion …

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The most oversold stocks in the industrials sector presents an opportunity to buy into undervalued companies.

The RSI is a momentum indicator, which compares a stock’s strength on days when prices go up to its strength on days when prices go down. When compared to a stock’s price action, it can give traders a better sense of how a stock may perform in the short term. An asset is typically considered oversold when the RSI is below 30, according to Benzinga Pro.

Here’s the latest list of major oversold players in this sector, having an RSI near or below 30.

JetBlue Airways Corp (NASDAQ:JBLU)

  • On March 2, Barclays analyst Brandon Oglenski upgraded JetBlue Airways from Underweight to Equal-Weight and raised the price target from $4 to $7. The company’s stock fell around 28% over the past month …

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EXCLUSIVE: New York and California are no longer just losing residents — they are losing an entire economic class.

As 2026 kicks off a fresh wave of “tax the rich” rhetoric in traditional financial hubs, top Florida developers tell Fox News Digital they are seeing a massive, permanent surge in capital migration. In just the last 60 days, two developers and one sales firm reported over $126 million in sales to buyers relocating from California and New York, signaling that the blue state exodus has moved from a temporary trickle to a flood of hundreds of millions of dollars.

“In our three projects… we saw over $60 million over the last 30 days, and I can tell you that in the last six months between the three projects combined, we sold over $200 million of product. We still see a lot of buyers coming from New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois. These are the main four markets,” BH Group CEO Isaac Toledano told Fox News Digital.

“We’re at roughly $50 million in Shoma Bay alone since the start of the year from New York and California buyers. What’s different now is the conviction,” Shoma Group CEO Masoud Shojaee also told Fox News Digital. “People aren’t just looking, they’re signing contracts, and that tells us this has staying power.”

FLORIDA CHAMBER C.E.O. SAYS HIGH-TAX STATES ARE IN A ‘DEATH SPIRAL’ AS $4M-AN-HOUR WEALTH MIGRATION ACCELERATES

“In just the first 60 days of 2026, we’ve already seen a significant increase in interest and activity at our condo projects. Based on this momentum, we anticipate total transactions this year will surpass 2025,” ISG World founder and CEO Craig Studnicky added, telling Fox News Digital they’ve seen $26 million in wealth migration from New York and California so far this year, up from $15 million the same time last year.

Based on these latest numbers, the three real estate tycoons agree that this isn’t just a slight uptick, but rather a compounding growth curve. And while Florida’s tax benefits have long been the hook for new residents, the catalysts for a new wave of high-net-worth individuals are the rise of socialist-leaning policies in New York and looming wealth taxes in California.

“We cannot ignore the fact that Mayor Mamdani, for the last few weeks, [has been] mentioning that they’re going to increase probably the real estate taxes and the wealth tax, and same in California,” Toledano said. “Here, everybody’s pushing that most likely we will see the real estate tax bills getting slashed… the mood here is completely different.”

“People are looking for simplicity… they wanna be confident. They wanna protect their business. They wanna have some clarity,” Shojaee added. “If there’s no predictability, if there is no trust, if there is no clarity, if there is no simplicity, the business is not gonna function. And that’s the issue that they have.”

The primary criticism of the Florida boom was that it was a pandemic anomaly. However, the 2026 data suggests this is a structural relocation of American wealth. Shojaee emphasized that when a CEO moves their home or headquarters, they aren’t coming for a vacation.

“If it was only just purchasing their real estate for the sake of purchasing real estate, yeah, I would say it could be a trend. But once you move your business and your wealth to Miami or Palm Beach or South Florida, that’s really permanent,” Shojaee said.

Studnicky backs this up with a dramatic shift in his own sales data, moving from part-time residents to full-time Floridians.

“Two-thirds of my U.S. sales before COVID were second homes,” Studnicky revealed. “That has completely [flipped]. Two-thirds are permanent residents.”

WALL STREET SOUTH EXPANSION: MANDARIN ORIENTAL ANCHORS NEW ‘BILLIONAIRE CORRIDOR’ IN WEST PALM BEACH

This influx of 24/7 business residents is forcing a fundamental redesign of Florida’s luxury landscape as developers are moving away from traditional resort amenities and toward infrastructure that supports a high-intensity professional life. For Studnicky, that means prioritizing the garage over the pool.

“When I sit with developers today… we talk about parking as much as we talk about the swimming pool,” Studnicky said. “Everyone’s coming with two cars, and they want to park their own cars… Parking’s become a big deal.”

Toledano added that the level of scrutiny from new residents has reached an all-time high as they look meticulously for environments to best suit their lifestyle.

“The buyers [in] the last few years became more sophisticated. They want to know more about the location, more about the developer, more about the architect, the interior designer, they [are] paying for product. And they want to make sure that they’re getting the best of the best,” Toledano said.

Concerns about the “Californication” or “New York-ifying” of Florida are overplayed, as the real estate experts argue that names like Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page and Sergey Brin aren’t coming to “recreate what they left behind.”

“I’ve been living here for 32 years, that concern is overstating,” Studnicky said. “The folks that are moving here, they’re fiscally very conservative, and they’re deeply entrepreneurial and that entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve never seen it go alive anywhere as I do here in [South Florida].”

The ISG World founder added that President Donald Trump’s presence in Palm Beach also brings influence.

“Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach is the White House South. Donald Trump spends as much time at Mar-a-Lago as he actually does in the White House. In other words, his mere presence here is telling people… that this is a conservatively fiscal location, and it’s extremely safe.”

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As the “Wall Street South” matures, the question is no longer if Florida can compete with the traditional financial capitals of the world, but when it might surpass them. As Toledano puts it, the current boom is likely just the preamble. If the current trajectory holds, South Florida of 2030 won’t just be a refuge for high-tax state residents — it will be the new center of gravity for American capital.

“I believe this is an evolution. This is not a competition,” Shojaee added. “It’s a big possibility that happens… and we will see the wealth that is moving here and that they’d rather be here.”

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T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) CEO Srini Gopalan has said that there have been no talks of a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) partnership with Elon Musk‘s Starlink satellite internet service.

No Plans For MVNO Partnership

When asked about a possible MVNO partnership with Starlink at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Gopalan said that there were no plans for it, according to a report by Fierce Network on Thursday. “We get into an MVNO when we think there’s an incremental TAM to go after,” Gopalan said.

He added that the TAM could be a specific ethnic group or a specific channel play and distribution. “It’s not clear to me how a partnership with Starlink from an MVNO perspective would fit into those criteria,” Gopalan said.

What Is MVNO?

An MVNO is a wireless communications service provider that does not own the …

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Online travel agencies saw a massive relief rally on Thursday after reports surfaced that OpenAI is scaling back its ambitions to handle direct bookings within ChatGPT.

Travel Intermediaries Rally On AI Pivot

The surge was led by Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE), which jumped 13.69%, while Travelzoo (NASDAQ:TZOO) and Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) followed closely with gains of 10.83% and 8.46%, respectively.

The sudden pivot by the AI giant has effectively hit the pause button on investor fears that generative AI would eventually bulldoze the business models of traditional travel platforms.

The Complexity Of Real-Time Data

The primary catalyst for the market move was a report suggesting that keeping up with the volatile nature of travel inventory was becoming a logistical nightmare.

Industry observers noted that maintaining “real-time prices and inventory inside a chatbot is messy, maybe even too much for OpenAI, at least for now.”

This technical hurdle—managing millions of fluctuating hotel rates and flight seats—proved to …

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Battalion Oil Corp. (NYSE:BATL) surged 15.79% in after-hours trading on Tuesday, jumping to $22.

BATL closed the regular session up 2.32% at $19, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Middle East Tensions Send Oil Stocks Soaring

The stock moved following a broad rally in the oil and gas sector after coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran over the weekend.

Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global crude and LNG shipments, pushed benchmark oil futures higher and lifted sentiment for upstream producers.

Capital Raise Strengthens Balance Sheet

On Tuesday, Battalion announced a private placement …

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The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed an increase in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Thursday.

U.S. stocks settled lower on Thursday, with the Dow Jones index falling almost 800 points during the session.

West Texas Intermediate crude surged to its highest level since January 2025, compounding inflation fears and driving Treasury yields sharply higher. Hundreds of vessels remained anchored in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy escorted tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

In earnings, The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) posted mixed results for the fourth quarter on Thursday. BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BJ) reported upbeat earnings for the fourth quarter.

On the economic data front, U.S. initial jobless claims came in unchanged from the previous week at 213,000 …

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With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Friday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:

  • Wall Street expects Genesco Inc. (NYSE:GCO) to report quarterly earnings at $3.58 per share on revenue of $790.53 million before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Genesco shares gained 1.8% to $26.55 in after-hours trading.
  • Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST) reported better-than-expected financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 after the close on Thursday. Costco reported second-quarter revenue of $69.60 billion, beating analyst estimates of $69.29 billion, according to Benzinga Pro. The membership-based retailer reported earnings …

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Calidi Biotherapeutics Inc. (NYSE:CLDI) shares tumbled 35.04% in after-hours trading on Thursday to $0.50.

The after-hours rally came after the San Diego-based biotech announced an underwritten public offering after the markets closed on Thursday.

Underwritten Public Offering

Calidi plans to offer units of common stock or pre-funded warrants, with the pre-funded warrants available to select investors instead of shares, and each unit will include common warrants.

Calidi noted it expects to grant underwriters a 45-day overallotment option to purchase up to 15% additional shares.

According to the company’s press release, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. is …

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New Concept Energy Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: GBR) shares are trending on Thursday night.

Shares of the Dallas-based company surged 26.61% to $1.38 in after hours trading on Thursday.

According to Benzinga Pro data, GBR closed regular trading up 33.01% at $1.09.

Strait of Hormuz Fears Drive Rally

The stock move came after U.S. and Israeli forces carried out joint strikes against Iran over the weekend, prompting Tehran to move toward shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway carrying about 20% of the world’s crude oil shipments.

The supply of crude oil has become vulnerable, driven by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and drone strikes on regional energy …

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The S&P 500 closed Thursday at 6,830.71, down 0.56%, giving back most of Wednesday’s recovery as oil resumed its climb and Iran war uncertainty returned.

The Polygon-based (CRYPTO: POL) Polymarket is sending its clearest bullish signal of the week. For the first time since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran upended markets on Monday, “Up” is the majority call in early trades, with the March 6 market currently at 65% “Up” and 35% “Down” on whether the S&P will open above or below on Friday.

Why That Number Matters

The odds reflect genuine uncertainty around the single biggest number of the week. February’s non-farm payrolls report is due Friday morning. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect payroll growth of 50,000, and the unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.3%.

A strong print keeps the Fed on hold longer. A weak one …

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Kristi Noem, on Thursday, was removed from her post as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by President Donald Trump and reassigned as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

Amid this reshuffle, the prediction market is busy betting on who will be the next person to leave the Trump administration this year.

Here’s What Prediction Market Is Saying

Data from Kalshi, a federally authorized betting platform, shows that over $1.4 million has been bet on the contract “Who will leave the Trump administration this year?”

Three Officials Top The List

Amy Gleason, who has been acting as the Administrator for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since the departure of Tesla Inc.

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Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) has issued a fresh recall affecting over 604,533 units across multiple model lines as the company continues to grapple with recall woes.

Windshield Wiper Issue Affects Multiple Vehicle Lines

The company recalled 604,533 units of the 2020-2022 Ford Explorer and Escape SUVs, as well as the Lincoln Aviator and Corsair SUVs, on Wednesday due to an issue with the vehicles’ windshield wiper motor, which may fail to function properly and lead to visibility issues. “Dealers will inspect and replace the front wiper motors as necessary, free of charge,” NHTSA said in its official recall filing.

Ford’s February Sales Decline, EV Rollback

Ford’s sales dropped …

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Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) shares are trending on Thursday night.

Deal Drives Sharp Post-Market Move

Shares of the Connecticut-based company rose 45.89% in after-hours trading Thursday to $2.13 after announcing a definitive all-stock merger agreement with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) mining company Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. (OTC:CBTTF).

The agreement, signed on Thursday, would merge Sphere’s Nasdaq listing and balance sheet with Cathedra’s four-data-center portfolio, creating a projected 53 MW, five-site platform across Iowa, Kentucky and Tennessee.

What Anchors The Combined Entity

Under the terms of the agreement, Cathedra security holders will receive Sphere common shares totaling approximately 49% of the combined company’s issued and outstanding share capital following closing, on a partially …

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Ebene, Mauritius, March 6, 2026 – While the trading community has often been seen as a “gentlemen’s club,” this International Women’s Day, PU Prime is proud to spotlight a story that inspires: Joyce, a mother and a trader, sharing her journey of resilience and financial empowerment. For many, the motivation to enter the financial markets is purely profit-driven. But this does not apply to Joyce. She grew up in a household where her mother, a teacher, needed to do side hustle just to afford rice.

In this video, Joyce opens up about her journey as a mother and a trader navigating today’s challenging markets. From learning the value of a dollar as a …

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Target announced on Thursday it will open its 2,000th store this month in North Carolina as part of an expansion that will include dozens more stores opening this year.

The milestone 2,000th location will open in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, on March 15. It will be Target’s 55th store in North Carolina. The new 148,000-square-foot store, located near Raleigh, will include a CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks Cafe and Disney Shop inside.

The company said this location “represents the future of Target’s elevated guest experience with its open, easily navigable layout, convenient same-day services and winning team delivering a more relaxed and enjoyable shopping visit.”

TARGET BETS BIG ON UPGRADES, BEAUTY PUSH TO WIN BACK SHOPPERS: ‘NOT AN EVERYTHING STORE’

Target also plans to open 30 new stores this year and 300 by 2035 in what the company described as a new chapter in its strategy to drive long-term, sustainable growth by investing in stores.

In addition to the new store in North Carolina, other new Target stores are set to open this month in Bakersfield and Delano, California; Springfield, Missouri; Jersey City and West Orange, New Jersey; and Dallas, Texas.

“Guests tell us all the time they want a Target closer to home, and this investment helps us do exactly that,” Adrienne Costanzo, chief stores officer at Target said in a press release. “That means even more neighborhoods will get the full Target experience: trend-forward style and value, technology that makes the trip effortless and awesome teams who deliver easy, inspiring and friendly moments every single day.”

The company said there is a Target store within 10 miles of most doorsteps across the U.S.

Target has listed more than 40 additional communities across 25 states that will eventually have a new store open. Based on the future store openings Target has already confirmed, the states that will have the most new stores are Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

It also said there would be more than 130 remodels on top of the store openings. Next-day delivery will also launch in more than 20 new metro areas, which the company said reaches 60% of the U.S. population.

TARGET CUTS 500 JOBS, INVESTS MORE MONEY IN STORE STAFFING

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The retailer said it is “making a commitment to the neighborhoods it calls home.”

“Every time we open a new Target store, we’re planting roots in that community,” Costanzo said. “That means in addition to delivering a better shopping experience that’s faster and more reliable, we’re creating growth and opportunity — through good jobs, support for local nonprofits and long-term economic investment in the neighborhoods we serve. When our teams and communities thrive, so do we.”

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Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) shares are trending on Thursday night.

Shares of the Washington-based online travel technology company surged 0.11% in after-hours trading on Thursday to $251.81.

EXPE closed the regular session up 13.69% at $251.54, according to Benzinga Pro.

Thursday marked the record date for the company’s quarterly dividend of $0.48 per share, payable March 26, up 20% from the previous $0.40 per share declared in mid-February.

Insider Sale Details

On Wednesday, Robert Dzielak, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Expedia Group, sold 8,225 shares at a weighted average price of $220.82, with prices ranging from $220.73 to $221.01, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing dated Thursday.

The transaction totaled approximately $1.82 million in proceeds.

According to a separate SEC filing, the shares were originally acquired as restricted …

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Ark Invest, led by Cathie Wood, made significant trades on Thursday, focusing on Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ:HOOD) and Joby Aviation Inc (NYSE:JOBY). These trades come amidst recent developments and market movements for both companies.

The Robinhood Trade

Ark Invest making a substantial purchase of Robinhood shares across multiple ETFs.The ARK Innovation ETF (BATS:ARKK) acquired 158,259 shares, while ARK Blockchain & Fintech Innovation ETF (BATS:ARKF) and ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (BATS:ARKW) added 5,267 and 20,407 shares, respectively.

This purchase follows Robinhood’s recent launch of its Platinum credit card and custodial accounts, which has generated market interest. The …

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A record number of Americans tapped into their 401(k) retirement savings for hardship withdrawals last year due to financial challenges, new data shows.

Vanguard Group reported that 6% of participants in 401(k) plans administered by the firm took hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% in 2024.

That figure is also well above the prepandemic average of about 2% of 401(k) plan participants per year who made hardship withdrawals from their retirement plans, Vanguard said.

The report noted that hardship withdrawals can be a sign of financial stress as workers tap into their 401(k) as a safety net that can help them cover unanticipated expenses or emergency costs.

SOME RETIREMENT SAVERS LOSE A KEY TAX BREAK UNDER NEW IRS RULE

Vanguard added that the process for requesting a hardship withdrawal from 401(k) plans has become easier to do, which could explain the uptick in withdrawal activity.

“Given that it’s now easier to request a hardship withdrawal and that automatic enrollment is helping more workers save for retirement, especially lower-income workers, a modest increase isn’t surprising,” the firm wrote.

“And for a small subset of workers facing financial stress, hardship withdrawals may serve as a safety net that may not otherwise have been available without plan-implemented automatic solutions,” Vanguard continued.

TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘NOT A HUGE FAN’ OF 401(K) WITHDRAWAL PLAN FOR HOMEBUYERS’ DOWN PAYMENTS

Avoiding foreclosures, eviction and medical expenses were the leading reasons that 401(k) participants made hardship withdrawals, while the median size of the withdrawal was $1,900, according to Vanguard.

The report found that participants were focused on financial goals throughout 2025 and saw average account balances rise by 13% due to positive market performance. Vanguard noted that 45% of 401(k) participants increased their deferral rate on their own or through an automatic annual increase.

“While there are some signs of heightened financial stress among certain workers, the broad trends in plan design and participant behavior remain strong,” Vanguard said, noting that automatic contributions have boosted savings and investment outcomes.

IRS REVEALS UPDATED RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR 2026

The use of 401(k) loans – an alternative to hardship withdrawals – was flat and remained below prepandemic levels.

Congress reformed the process for taking 401(k) hardship withdrawals in 2018, making it easier to do so by eliminating a requirement that a plan participant take a loan out first before being allowed to make a withdrawal.

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Vanguard found that hardship withdrawals have risen six years in a row after the change was made.

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DocuSign Inc. (NASDAQ:DOCU) shares surged on Thursday, bucking a market-wide selloff. The S&P 500 dropped 1.29%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.19%. Year-to-date, DOCU remains down 29.93%.

Anthropic Partnership Drives Attention

On February 24, Anthropic named DocuSign as a connector partner for its enterprise AI platform, Cowork. The integration lets businesses draft, route, and execute agreements via natural language prompts.

CEO Allan Thygesen said: “What DocuSign brings to agentic experiences like Cowork is deep context across all business agreements — the intelligent workflows that know how to act on that context and the trust, security, and scale enterprises …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), and it’s something market players shouldn’t ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in PFE usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga’s options scanner highlighted 9 extraordinary options activities for Pfizer. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 44% leaning bullish and 55% bearish. Among these notable options, 6 are puts, totaling $448,868, and 3 are calls, amounting to $1,526,446.

Expected Price Movements

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $18.0 to $28.0 for Pfizer over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Rocket Companies (NYSE:RKT), and it’s something market players shouldn’t ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in RKT usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga’s options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for Rocket Companies. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 27% leaning bullish and 72% bearish. Among these notable options, 6 are puts, totaling $356,209, and 5 are calls, amounting to $198,412.

Predicted Price Range

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $12.0 to $30.0 for Rocket Companies during the past quarter.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Rocket …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Looking into the current session, Wells Fargo Inc. (NYSE:WFC) shares are trading at $81.91, after a 2.41% drop. Over the past month, the stock decreased by 10.54%, but over the past year, it actually went up by 15.28%. With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company’s price-to-earnings ratio.

Past Year Chart

Evaluating Wells Fargo P/E in Comparison to Its Peers

The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company’s market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Tower Semiconductor.

Looking at options history for Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TSEM) we detected 8 trades.

If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 50% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 50% with bearish.

From the overall spotted trades, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $96,940 and 5, calls, for a total amount of $314,963.

Projected Price Targets

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $85.0 to $155.0 for Tower Semiconductor over the recent three months.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

In today’s trading context, the average open interest for options of Tower Semiconductor stands at 558.88, with a total volume reaching 1,700.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Tower Semiconductor, situated within the strike price corridor …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

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