Iran’s new supreme leader vows Hormuz stays shut; oil briefly tops $100/bbl as IEA’s 400M barrel release fails. S&P 500 -1.52% to YTD low; VIX spikes to 27.29. Trump launches Section 301 probes into 16 nations as Canada’s 25% steel tariffs lock in. Private credit cracks: Morgan Stanley gates $8B fund, Deutsche Bank flags $30B exposure. Dollar General -7.8% despite earnings beat. All eyes on FOMC March 17-18 — dot plot in spotlight.
MIB: Iran Holds Hormuz, Section 301 Targets 16 Nations, Private Credit Cracks & FOMC March 18 in Crosshairs
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: PCE Re-Accelerates, Consumer Confidence Craters, and Nvidia Defies the Macro
Nvidia reported Q4 EPS of $1.62 (est. $1.53) with revenue of $68.1B and guided Q1 to $78B — sending shares +6% after-hours on a near-record beat. Markets shrugged off Trump’s SOTU optimism as economists warned the SCOTUS tariff reversal won’t translate to lower consumer prices. December PCE Core re-accelerated to 3.0% YoY — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge moving in the wrong direction and eliminating any realistic H1 rate cut. Silver surged 3.4% to near $90/oz while First Solar cratered 18% on a brutal guidance miss. S&P 500 +0.81%, Nasdaq +1.26%.
