NEWS

The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite surged more than 1% on March 16, 2026, snapping a string of recent losses as investors welcomed signs of cooling tensions in the Middle East and a pullback in crude oil prices.

nLIGHT, Inc. (NASDAQ: LASR), a leading provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers for directed energy, optical sensing and advanced manufacturing, saw its stock maintain strength in mid-March 2026 trading, closing at $62.60 on March 13 amid continued investor enthusiasm following strong 2025 results and bullish analyst coverage.

National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE: NSA) stock soared in pre-market trading on March 16, 2026, after the self-storage real estate investment trust announced it would be acquired by industry giant Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $10.5 billion enterprise value.

HOUSTON — Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE: MUR) shares rallied sharply in recent trading, closing at $36.81 on March 13, 2026, up $2.09 or 6.02% from the prior session, marking a new 52-week high amid a wave of positive analyst actions, promising developments in its Vietnam operations and sustained crude oil prices bolstered by geopolitical tensions.

Klarna Group plc (NYSE: KLAR), the Swedish fintech giant known for its "buy now, pay later" services, saw its shares climb sharply in recent trading as Board Chairman Michael Moritz acquired approximately $50 million worth of stock, signaling confidence in the company's long-term prospects despite ongoing market pressures following its 2025 initial public offering.

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, saw its Class A shares (GOOGL) close at $302.28 on Friday, March 13, down 1.27 or 0.42% from the previous session, as investors continue to digest the tech giant's aggressive push into artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Palantir Technologies Inc. shares retreated Friday, March 13, 2026, snapping a recent winning streak as investors locked in gains following a strong March rally fueled by renewed defense demand and AI partnerships, though broader market caution capped upside.

NEW YORK — PayPay Corporation, the Japanese digital payments giant backed by SoftBank Group, continued its strong post-IPO performance in early trading Monday, March 16, 2026, building on a robust Nasdaq debut last week that saw shares jump significantly above the offering price despite a conservative pricing amid geopolitical headwinds.

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed lower Monday, March 16, 2026, extending recent declines as escalating Middle East tensions drove oil prices higher, stoked inflation fears and heightened anticipation for a potential Reserve Bank of Australia rate hike later this week.

A Virgin Australia flight bound for Melbourne was forced to make an urgent landing after a vape in the cabin causes a small fire.

Australia and Japan have declared that no navy vessels from their countries will be sent to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 index remained little changed in early trading Monday, March 16, 2026, as investors positioned cautiously ahead of this week's Bank of England policy meeting while digesting the fallout from elevated oil prices and ongoing Middle East tensions.

The Indian benchmark **Nifty 50** index experienced sharp volatility on Monday amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and rising global oil prices, as trading resumed in Mumbai following a steep decline at the end of the previous week.

An update made by Smart Traveller clarifies what the "do not travel" advice applies to amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Galaxy Digital Inc. (Nasdaq: GLXY), the digital asset and infrastructure company led by Mike Novogratz, saw its shares climb sharply in recent trading, closing up 8.34% at $22.35 on March 13, 2026, amid a broader cryptocurrency market rebound and optimism around its expanding data center operations.

MIAMI — One of the largest operators of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurants in the United States has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing mounting debt, inflationary pressures and shifts in consumer behavior that have hammered its bottom line.

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) shares closed at $95.31 on Friday, March 13, 2026, up $1.00 or 1.06% from the previous day's close, as investors digested recent company developments and broader market sentiment in an otherwise choppy month for the streaming giant.

BillionToOne, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLLN), a leading molecular diagnostics company specializing in next-generation prenatal screening and oncology testing, saw its shares rise sharply in recent trading as investors responded to the firm's robust financial performance and upwardly revised growth outlook for 2026.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) shares closed lower on Friday, March 13, 2026, reflecting continued choppiness in the meme stock landscape amid broader market pressures from geopolitical tensions and energy volatility. The stock ended the session at $23.53, down $0.90 or 3.68% from the previous close, on volume of approximately 6.35 million shares.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished modestly lower on Friday, March 13, 2026, as investors grappled with escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, surging oil prices, and broader market concerns over inflation and economic stability.

Shares of Kyivstar Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: KYIV) staged a dramatic recovery on Friday, March 13, 2026, as investors reacted to a "blowout" earnings report that showcased the operator's ability to maintain double-digit growth despite the ongoing challenges of operating in a wartime economy.

VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) shares surged 14.20% to close at $50.60 on March 13, 2026, up $6.29 from the previous close of $44.31, as investors reacted positively to the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings report released the same day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended lower on March 13, 2026, closing at 46,558.47 after shedding 119.38 points or 0.26%, as persistent geopolitical tensions from the U.S.-Iran war continued to push oil prices higher and weigh on investor sentiment.

Neptune Insurance Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NP) shares closed sharply higher at $21.87 on March 13, 2026, up $3.68 or 20.23% from the previous day's close of $18.19, as trading volume spiked to around 925,000 shares — more than double the average daily volume.

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) shares closed at $180.25 on March 13, 2026, down $2.89 or 1.58% from the previous day's close, as investors positioned ahead of the company's flagship GPU Technology Conference (GTC 2026) starting March 16.

Crew members of Carnival Adventure were filmed denying Australian government and unions officials entry to the ship.

U.S. stock indexes showed resilience on March 13, 2026, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 posting modest advances as investors digested fresh inflation data

The Dow Jones Industrial Average staged a solid recovery on March 13, 2026, rising more than 260 points as investors shook off recent losses tied to Middle East tensions and focused on bargain hunting in blue-chip names.

An e-bike and motorcycle crash has killed two teenagers, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, in Brisbane.