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Fed Holds Rates at 3.50%–3.75%; Dot Plot and Powell Press Conference in Focus as Iran War Complicates Inflation Outlook

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold the federal funds rate steady at 3.50%–3.75% on Wednesday, with 99% market certainty baked into futures pricing. The real event for investors is the quarterly dot plot and Chair Jerome Powell's press conference, where the central bank must reconcile surging wholesale inflation, energy prices above $100, and a softening labor market — an increasingly stagflationary combination.

Brent Crude Spikes to $106 After Iran Strikes South Pars Gas Field; Strait of Hormuz Fears Escalate

Global oil benchmark Brent crude spiked 3.1% to above $106 per barrel on Wednesday after Iran reported an attack on its South Pars natural gas processing complex — the world's largest gas field — in apparent retaliation for recent Israeli strikes. The development reignited fears that the conflict could escalate toward a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply transits daily.

South Korea's KOSPI Surges 5% to 5,925 as Samsung and SK Hynix Lead Record Institutional Buying Amid AI Memory Boom

South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index surged more than 5% on Wednesday, closing at 5,925.03 on record institutional net buying of 3.1 trillion won — the single largest institutional buy day in the exchange's history. Semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the rally, reclaiming key psychological price levels at 200,000 won and 1 million won respectively, as investors positioned ahead of Micron Technology's blockbuster earnings expected after the U.S. close.

Micron Technology Reports Q2 Fiscal 2026 Earnings After the Bell; $19.3B Revenue and $8.66 EPS Expected as HBM Demand Hits Record

Micron Technology reports its fiscal second-quarter 2026 earnings after the close on Wednesday, with Wall Street consensus projecting revenue of approximately $19.3 billion — a 138% year-over-year explosion — and EPS of $8.66, up more than 450% from the prior year. The chipmaker has already sold out its entire 2026 HBM allocation and guided for record gross margins near 68%, positioning the report as a potential inflection catalyst for the entire semiconductor sector.

Lululemon Beats Q4 Estimates But Shocks Investors With Bleak 2026 Guidance; Americas Revenue Slides, CEO Search Drags On

Lululemon Athletica beat fourth-quarter earnings estimates Tuesday evening, reporting Q4 revenue of $3.64 billion and EPS of $5.01, but the company's 2026 guidance delivered a stark warning to investors: full-year EPS is projected to fall to $12.10–$12.30 from $13.26 in fiscal 2025, marking a second consecutive year of declining profitability. Americas revenue fell 4% in Q4 and is expected to decline a further 1%–3% in 2026, while the company continues to operate without a permanent CEO.

Boeing Under Fresh Pressure as 737 MAX Wiring Defect Stalls Q1 Deliveries; Shares Lag Broader Market Recovery

Boeing shares lagged the broader market Wednesday as the company continued to grapple with a 737 MAX delivery pause tied to scratched wiring caused by a machining error discovered during production inspections. The defect, disclosed on March 10, has halted all MAX deliveries since March 5 — ending what had been the strongest February delivery performance since 2018 — and raises renewed questions about manufacturing quality control just as Boeing's recovery appeared to be gaining momentum.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Raises AI Revenue Forecast to $1 Trillion Through 2027 at GTC, Unveils Vera Rubin and Groq LPU

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed at the company's annual GTC developer conference in San Jose that he now expects 'at least $1 trillion' in purchase orders for Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPU systems through 2027 — doubling a prior $500 billion estimate — while also debuting the Groq 3 Language Processing Unit and announcing Uber as an autonomous vehicle partner across 28 cities. The announcements supercharged an already-rallying AI infrastructure sector and sent Nvidia shares to fresh multi-week highs.

Meta Shares Surge Nearly 3% as Reuters Reports Planned 20% Workforce Reduction to Offset $135 Billion AI Spending

Meta Platforms shares climbed nearly 3% on Monday after Reuters reported that the social media giant is weighing layoffs affecting 20% or more of its roughly 79,000-person workforce — potentially eliminating more than 15,000 jobs — as the company seeks to offset its $135 billion AI capital expenditure plan for 2026, roughly double last year's spending. The news accelerated a sector-wide narrative of tech giants using AI efficiency gains to justify historic reductions in headcount.

Amazon Launches 1-Hour and 3-Hour Delivery Across U.S. Cities in Direct Challenge to Walmart's Same-Day Dominance

Amazon announced Tuesday that it is rolling out 1-hour and 3-hour delivery services across hundreds and thousands of U.S. cities respectively — marking its most aggressive assault yet on Walmart's same-day shipping dominance. With more than 90,000 products eligible for sub-3-hour fulfillment, Prime members paying $9.99 for 1-hour and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery, and an 'Amazon Now' 30-minute test underway in select markets, the e-commerce giant is shifting the battleground of retail logistics to the realm of near-instant gratification.