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Market Analysts Weigh Economic Impact of U.S.–Iran Conflict

Economists and market strategists offered varied assessments of how the burgeoning conflict in the Middle East may affect the broader U.S. economy and financial markets. While energy prices and inflation risks are top of mind, some analysts contend the effects may be modest and concentrated in specific sectors.

Safe Harbor Financial Reports 29% Growth in Emerging Cannabis Banking

Safe Harbor Financial today announced robust year-over-year growth of 29% in its emerging U.S. cannabis banking segment, driven by more than 100 new customer accounts. The expansion highlights ongoing opportunities in niche financial services and the broader cannabis sector as regulatory and market conditions evolve.

Apple Unveils iPhone 17e at $599 and M4 iPad Air, Kicking Off Its Most Ambitious Hardware Cycle in Years

Apple launched the iPhone 17e at $599 on Monday, doubling base storage to 256GB while adding MagSafe support, alongside a new M4-powered iPad Air — the opening salvo of what analysts say could be the company's most significant product refresh in recent memory. Pre-orders open March 4, with availability across more than 70 countries beginning March 11.

Target Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates as Holiday Rebound Fuels Optimism; Best Buy Posts Mixed Results

Target Corporation reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of $2.44 per share, handily topping Wall Street's $2.16 consensus, as the retailer pointed to improved sales trends in January as an encouraging milestone on its path to recovery. Best Buy posted a mixed quarter — beating on earnings per share but missing revenue estimates — while raising its quarterly dividend for the thirteenth consecutive year.

CrowdStrike Reports Q4 Earnings After the Bell as Cybersecurity Demand Tests Resilience Against AI Competition

CrowdStrike Holdings is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results after Tuesday's close, with analysts projecting earnings of $1.10 per share on revenue of approximately $1.3 billion — a 22.6% year-over-year increase. The report comes amid a 24.5% three-month decline in the stock, driven by fears that AI-native security tools could erode the company's competitive moat in enterprise cybersecurity.

Broadcom, CrowdStrike and Costco Highlight Earnings and Sector Signals This Week

Key earnings events this week from major corporations such as Broadcom, CrowdStrike and Costco offer important signals for sectors ranging from semiconductors to cybersecurity and consumer retail. These earnings releases will provide investors with fresh insights into demand trends, margin pressures, and broader economic resilience as markets contend with volatility from macroeconomic and geopolitical factors.

Strait of Hormuz Effectively Closed: Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM Halt All Transits as Shipping Stocks Surge

The world's four largest container shipping carriers suspended all vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz following Iranian attacks on tankers transiting the waterway, triggering a 70 percent drop in traffic and sending shares of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd surging more than 4 percent as investors anticipated higher freight rates, war-risk surcharges, and prolonged rerouting of global cargo around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Gold Breaches $5,400 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges; JP Morgan Raises Year-End Target to $6,300

Spot gold prices surged nearly 2 percent to breach $5,400 per ounce on Monday as the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict drove intense safe-haven demand, with U.S. gold futures advancing 2.58 percent intraday and JPMorgan raising its year-end price target to $6,300 per ounce, citing sustained geopolitical risk, sticky inflation, and central bank buying as structural supports for bullion.

Wall Street Braces for AI Disruption and Key Jobs Data in Market Week Ahead

U.S. markets are entering a pivotal week with artificial intelligence disruption looming large over investor expectations and volatility. As traders await critical jobs and inflation data, shifting sentiment on AI’s role in corporate spending is expected to influence sector performance and drive stock rotation across major indices.