US Navy seized Iranian tanker Touska in Gulf of Oman, spiking WTI +4.35% and snapping the Nasdaq’s historic 13-session streak. Russell 2000 hit a record close (+0.58%) as small-caps diverged sharply from mega-cap tech. Fed chair nominee Warsh faces Senate grilling Tuesday — Sen. Tillis blocks vote as Powell’s May 15 term looms. CBP opened a $166B tariff refund portal (IEEPA duties ruled unconstitutional). Amazon commits $25B more to Anthropic in 2026’s largest AI infrastructure deal.
MIB: Iranian Tanker Seizure, Fed Chair Hearing, and the $166B Tariff Refund Portal Open for Claims
MIB: Strait Relief — Record Highs, Oil Collapse, $127B Tariff Refunds, and a Fed Forced to Recalibrate
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open,” sending WTI oil crashing 11.4% in the largest single-day drop since the war began. S&P 500 closed above 7,100 for the first time (+1.20%); Nasdaq’s winning streak hit 13 sessions — longest since 1992. Netflix (NFLX −9.72%) tanked on weak Q2 guidance and Reed Hastings’ board exit. Fed’s Waller: rate cuts viable if Hormuz stays open. A $127B IEEPA tariff refund portal launches Monday.
MIB: AI Sentiment Reset, Gold at Record $5,200, and the $30B Warner Bros. Bidding War
NVDA fell 5.5% despite record Q4 revenue ($68.1B, +73% YoY) — AI trade set to a new standard. Gold hit an all-time record above $5,200 as US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva approach Trump’s March 6 strike deadline. WBD board calls Paramount Skydance’s $31/share bid “superior” to Netflix, starting a 4-day bidding war. Dell surges 9% after hours on a $22B AI server backlog. Fed Vice Chair Bowman signals broad bank deregulation. Nasdaq -1.2%, Russell +0.5% — sharpest rotation in months.
