NEWS

Johnson & Johnson shares advanced to near their 52-week peak in recent trading, outperforming a broader market pullback driven by escalating Middle East tensions and oil price surges, as investors sought refuge in the healthcare giant's stable earnings, robust dividend and diversified portfolio.

Amazon Inc. shares retreated in early March trading as broader market risk-off sentiment from escalating Middle East conflict pressured tech names, compounding investor caution over the company's massive $200 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026 focused on AI infrastructure and cloud expansion.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 500 points on March 2, 2026, extending recent losses as escalating military conflict in the Middle East — including U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran followed by Iranian retaliation — drove a sharp risk-off move across global markets. Oil prices spiked dramatically on fears of supply disruptions, while safe-haven assets like gold rallied.

U.S. stock futures tumbled sharply on March 2, 2026, as investors reacted to intensified military conflict in the Middle East following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, spurring a flight to safety, surging oil prices and a retreat from risk assets.

NVIDIA Corp. shares pulled back in recent trading despite the company posting record-breaking fiscal 2026 results and issuing upbeat guidance, as Wall Street parsed details on capital allocation, China export dynamics and the rapid evolution of AI infrastructure demand.

Lockheed Martin Corp. shares climbed sharply in recent trading, reflecting heightened investor confidence in the defense sector amid ongoing global conflicts and robust U.S. military spending priorities.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR), the data analytics and artificial intelligence software firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, has seen its shares rebound sharply in early March 2026 following a post-earnings pullback, fueled by strong analyst upgrades, accelerating AI platform adoption, and fresh government contracts amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), the longtime leader in personal computer processors now pivoting aggressively into artificial intelligence and contract chip manufacturing, has staged a notable recovery in early 2026, with shares climbing about 25% year-to-date as investors bet on its turnaround under CEO Pat Gelsinger.

GameStop Corp., the video game retailer once synonymous with the 2021 meme-stock frenzy, is charting a bold new path under Chairman and CEO Ryan Cohen, with speculation mounting over a potential blockbuster acquisition that could redefine the company as a diversified holding entity.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares fell modestly in recent trading as escalating U.S.-Iran conflict drove oil prices higher, raising questions about potential impacts on electric vehicle adoption and broader market sentiment, though the company's long-term AI and autonomy narrative continues to underpin investor interest.

While most Iranian-Australians celebrated the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some mosques in the country opted to celebrate his life.

Shares of The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) tumbled more than 7% in the latest session as escalating U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes injected fresh volatility into global markets, heightening concerns over energy supply disruptions, inflation pressures and broader economic fallout.

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) climbed sharply in early trading Monday as escalating U.S.-Iran military conflict drove oil prices higher, boosting prospects for the world's largest publicly traded oil company amid fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East.

Global oil prices jumped sharply Monday as attacks on multiple commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel, raised alarms over potential interruptions to roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne crude supplies.

Shares of Saudi Arabian Oil Co., commonly known as Saudi Aramco, climbed sharply in recent trading sessions as escalating Middle East tensions, including a reported drone strike on one of its key facilities, rattled regional markets while boosting investor interest in the world's largest oil producer.

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) shares closed at $96.24 on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, up $11.65 or 13.77% from the previous session, marking the streaming giant's strongest single-day gain in recent memory after the company formally abandoned its months-long pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery assets.

Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco halted operations at its massive Ras Tanura refinery on Monday after a drone strike targeted the facility, an industry source told Reuters, marking a dramatic escalation in the regional conflict as Iran retaliated against U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Apple Inc.'s stock closed at $264.18 on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, down $8.77 or 3.21% from the previous session's close, as broader market concerns over escalating U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict and potential oil price spikes weighed on technology shares.

Gold prices climbed sharply in early March trading, with spot gold reaching around $5,278 per ounce on March 1, 2026, up more than 1.8% from the previous close, according to data from major market trackers like Kitco and JM Bullion.

Minnesota lawmakers have introduced legislation that would impose a complete ban on cryptocurrency kiosks

Shares of Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (NASDAQ: PSNY) soared more than 20% on February 27, 2026

Shares of The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWIN) surged more than 25% on February 27, 2026

Crude oil prices jumped sharply on February 28, 2026, extending recent gains as joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran triggered immediate market concerns over potential disruptions to Middle East oil supplies.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) shares jumped 13.8% on February 27, 2026, closing at $96.24 after the streaming giant announced it would not raise its bid for Warner Bros.

Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) shares climbed more than 3.7% on February 27, 2026, closing at $409.03 after the financial software giant reported robust second-quarter fiscal 2026 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and reaffirmed full-year guidance amid accelerating adoption of AI-powered tools across its platforms.

Bitcoin tumbled below $64,000 on February 28, 2026, extending a sharp weekend sell-off triggered by reports of joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran.

Shares of Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) surged as much as 45% on February 27, 2026, reaching new 52-week highs above $79 in intraday trading, after the optical networking company reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued robust guidance fueled by accelerating demand for high-speed data center transceivers amid the AI infrastructure boom.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) shares traded in a narrow range around $24 in late February 2026, reflecting cautious investor sentiment following a period of volatility driven by CEO Ryan Cohen's aggressive push toward strategic acquisitions and the company's robust cash reserves.

Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) shares soared more than 20% on February 27, 2026, after the company reported record fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results, fueled by explosive demand for AI-optimized servers.