Apple Q2 beat drove AAPL +3.24% and Nasdaq 100 to a record, but 8 of 11 sectors fell and VIX rose — mega-cap AI, not a broad advance. UAE exited OPEC+ after 60 years, threatening cartel discipline while WTI fell 2.45%. Trump imposed 25% EU auto tariffs violating the 2025 framework; EU retaliation across agriculture and tech is unpriced. ISM Prices hit 84.6% while Manufacturing Employment fell to 46.4% — stagflation crystallizing. Pentagon cleared eight companies for classified AI networks; ORCL +6.47%.
MIB: Record Nasdaq, Collapsing Breadth — Apple Hides a Market That’s Quietly Breaking Down
MIB: February CPI Calm Before Storm, IEA Record Oil Release, Oracle +12% as AI Cloud Demand Holds Firm
Oracle surges 12.2% as OCI results blow past estimates (RPO $553B), proving AI cloud demand is war-proof. IEA triggers largest-ever oil reserve release (400M barrels) but WTI holds above $86 — Hormuz still closed. February CPI tame at +2.4% — calm before the storm as energy shock hits March data. Centene (CNC) -14% as CEO warns ACA enrollment collapses 36%. Airlines down 30% YTD; energy sector +25% YTD. All eyes on Adobe Thursday and UMich Friday.
MIB: Hormuz Crisis Day 3 — Oil +15%, Stagflation Signal Flashes, Fed Pulls Back on Rate Cuts
US-Iran war enters Day 3 — gold hit $5,417 record Monday, oil +15% this week. S&P 500 -0.94%, trimmed from intraday -2.5% loss after Trump’s Navy escort announcement. Fed’s Williams and Kashkari pull back from 2026 cut forecasts as 10Y yields rise on stagflation fears. UAL -4.09%, DAL -5% on fuel shock. Target (TGT) +7.5% on earnings beat. CrowdStrike beats after the bell.
