Track the evolution of major financial and economic events
On March 13, Hagens Berman filed a class action lawsuit against Zynex and its former executives after Zynex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This followed the revelation of a massive overbilling scheme. The company's shares were also delisted from the exchange, with the ticker changing to ZYXIQ.
On March 13, the Pentagon confirmed that all six crew members died in a KC-135 tanker crash over Western Iraq during 'Operation Epic Fury' directed against Iran. While pro-Iran Iraqi militants claimed they shot down the plane, the Pentagon denied it was due to hostile fire. On March 30, Spain closed its airspace to US planes involved in operations against Iran and announced that US military bases in Rota and Morón would not be used for these operations. On April 3, a US fighter jet was downed in Iran, and a search for the crew is ongoing.
Trinseo reported widening losses and a sharp decline in revenue in its FY 2025 results. Net sales in Q4 dropped to $663 million from $821 million in Q4 2024, and the full-year net loss widened to $546 million compared to a loss of $349 million in 2024. The diluted EPS for the fourth quarter was -$6.98, compared to -$3.33 in the previous year.
Oil prices have surged sharply, surpassing $100 per barrel, threatening Poland's inflation outlook and hindering hopes for rate cuts. On March 23, the National Bank of Poland lowered borrowing costs but indicated that inflation might remain contained. As tensions rise in the Middle East, concerns grow about the impact of rising energy prices on the European economy.
Gold prices surged to a record $5,100 per ounce on March 13, amid a slump in consumer sentiment and rising inflation fears. However, prices slid 3.3% on March 18, as the market anticipated a delay in rate cuts until 2027. By March 23, prices had dropped to $4,355.60, with increased demand for safe-haven assets due to geopolitical tensions. By the end of March, Wells Fargo reaffirmed its bullish outlook on gold, raising its price target to $6,100-$6,300 per ounce.
The ONE Group Hospitality (STKS) reported a loss of $0.20 per share for the fourth quarter, missing analyst estimates that projected earnings of $0.26 per share. The loss widened compared to last year's Q4 loss of $0.03 per share.
On March 13, the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical chokepoint for oil shipments, was effectively closed due to the war between the U.S./Israel and Iran. However, Pete Hegseth downplayed concerns regarding the closure, stating 'Don't need to worry about it'.
US GDP growth for the fourth quarter was revised down to just 0.7%, while core inflation remained high at 3.1% in January. New home sales collapsed by 17.6% month-over-month, the largest drop since July 2013, with home prices falling 6.8% year-over-year. Expectations indicate that the central bank has not made the desired progress in reducing inflation as hoped.
On March 13, BlockchAIn LLC signed a non-binding LOI with an international private equity firm for a 5 MW AI infrastructure deployment. The expected contract value exceeds $100 million during the initial term. This agreement is part of the proposed business combination between Signing Day Sports (SGN) and the BlockchAIn group.
On March 13, Lifeward received shareholder approval to finalize a strategic partnership with Oramed. The partnership grants Lifeward access to up to $47 million in capital. Lifeward will integrate Oramed's POD™ oral delivery technology into its platform.
The S&P 500 has fallen by 3% due to escalating tensions between the US and Iran, leading to market volatility. Investors are seeking protection tools amid rising concerns about the conflict's impact on growth and inflation. European and US markets also declined following Iranian strikes on Qatari gas facilities, while President Trump hinted at the possibility of ending the war, providing some hope to investors.
Aehr Test Systems (AEHR) stock has surged over 100% year-to-date in 2026, driven by positive developments in its AI business and new opportunities in the memory chip sector. Companies like Broadcom, Micron, and SanDisk have also reported significant revenue increases, reflecting the rising demand for AI technologies. However, Micron's shares have dropped 30% since its earnings report on March 18, highlighting current market volatility.
Volkswagen reclaimed the top spot in China's car sales during the first two months of 2026, while BYD slipped to fourth place. BYD reported a 19% decline in annual profits, marking its first drop in four years, despite a 3.5% increase in revenue. Meanwhile, XPeng announced its first-ever profit due to strong sales and margins.
HSBC and a joint venture led by Standard Chartered are expected to secure stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has received 36 applications under the new regulatory framework, with approvals potentially announced by March 24, 2026. Meanwhile, major companies like Mastercard and PayPal are expanding their stablecoin-related services, reflecting a growing interest in this sector.
Germany's industrial sector, particularly in Baden-Württemberg, is facing a structural collapse due to green transformation policies. There are concerns that the German economy is shifting towards a state-controlled command economy driven by subsidies. Fiscal pressures and an energy transition crisis are driving venture capital and growth financing abroad. In local elections, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made historic gains, significantly increasing its number of seats and becoming the second strongest party in Germany.
Morgan Stanley forecasts a major AI breakthrough by 2026, driven by scaling laws. The bank warns that most of the world is not yet prepared for the economic and technical implications of this breakthrough. Meanwhile, major companies like OpenAI and Nvidia continue their massive investments in AI, while firms like JPMorgan and HSBC face challenges due to AI-related fears and its impact on the job market.
The FTSE 250 Index sharply retreated to its lowest level since December, dropping over 7.2% from its yearly high. The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.75% during its meeting next week. Additionally, UK gas prices surged significantly following the escalation of the conflict in Iran, impacting the market overall.
Glencore CEO Gary Nagle is seeking to restart negotiations with Rio Tinto to create the world's largest mining company. The renewed interest in the deal is attributed to the recent surge in coal prices, which has strengthened Glencore's position. Leaders from both companies met with investors in Australia to discuss prospects for cooperation or merger.
New Fortress Energy faces default risk amid a $9 billion debt crisis. The company has nearly $9 billion in total debt, with $6.5 billion due within one year. Additionally, it is already behind on $500 million in payments and has burned through $1.73 billion in free cash flow over the trailing 12 months.
Solana is preparing to launch the Alpenglow upgrade aimed at reducing transaction finality time to 150 milliseconds. The new updates include a simplified consensus protocol, and Solana has started listing over 200 tokenized stocks for Wall Street. Goldman Sachs led a $107 million investment into Solana ETFs. However, Solana faced challenges with price declines and emerging risks in the market.
Iran threatens to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its asymmetric strategy following the degradation of its conventional naval capabilities. These threats have led to a surge in oil and natural gas prices, with military escalations occurring through U.S. airstrikes on Iranian sites. There are also international efforts for a ceasefire, while Iran continues to use crypto payment systems to fund its operations.
On March 13, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a temporary easing of sanctions on Russian oil until April 11, 2026, amid rising energy prices due to the war in Iran. Tensions escalated in the region following attacks on oil and gas facilities, causing oil prices to surge above $100 per barrel. On April 8, a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was announced, leading to a drop in oil prices below $100 per barrel.
Japanese Finance Minister Seiko Katayama warned about the impact of high oil prices on financial markets and household costs. The Japanese government signaled readiness to intervene in FX markets as USD/JPY approached the 160 level. Subsequently, Japan issued a 'Final Warning' as USD/JPY breached 160, causing the exchange rate to fall below this level.
On March 13, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, began assembling computing power using high-end Nvidia chips outside of China, aiming to compete with tech giants like Google and OpenAI. On March 20, U.S. prosecutors accused Super Micro Computer executives of illegally smuggling AI servers to China. By March 24, Alibaba announced the launch of its new AI chip, while customer testing of Huawei's new chip was progressing well. By March 30, Mistral AI raised $830 million to build a Nvidia-powered data center.
