S&P 500 +1% as investors bet on Iran diplomacy despite Hormuz blockade and oil near $98. Oracle soared 12.7% on AI utilities platform launch (ORCL). Goldman Sachs beat Q1 estimates but fell 2% on FICC miss (GS). Trump threatened 50% tariffs on China over Iran arms shipment reports. Cleveland Fed inflation nowcasting hit 3.56% — rate cuts now a 2027 story. Meta set to overtake Google in global digital ad revenue for first time ever.
MIB: Blockade Economics — Hormuz Chokes Oil Markets, Traps the Fed, and Markets Bet on Diplomacy
MIB: All-Time Low — Consumer Sentiment Collapses as CPI Stalls the Fed and Semis Soar on Tariff Relief
March CPI hit 3.3% (gasoline +21.2%) but core held at 2.6% — Fed stuck. Michigan consumer sentiment crashed to an all-time low of 47.6. Semis surged on Trump tariff exemptions (AVGO +4.69%, AMD +3.55%). TSMC confirmed AI demand is booming: Q1 revenue +35% to $35.7B. Meta locked in $21B with CoreWeave through 2032 (META +3.4%). FICO plunged 14% as the Senate opened a probe into mortgage credit score pricing.
MIB: Ceasefire Without Peace — Iran’s Crypto Tolls Keep Hormuz Blocked as Amazon’s AI Billions Power a Fractured Rally
Hormuz stays blocked — Iran demands crypto tolls from tankers; WTI +4.5% to $98.65, briefly clearing $100 intraday. Amazon (AMZN +5.6%) CEO Jassy disclosed AWS AI revenue hit $15B+ annualized. Meta signed a $21B AI cloud deal with CoreWeave through 2032. Anthropic’s Managed Agents launch hammered enterprise AI peers — PLTR -7.3%, ORCL -4%. IMF cut US 2026 growth forecast to 1.6%. S&P 500 +0.62% to 6,824 in post-ceasefire consolidation.
