đĽ The Truth About Rising Oil, Stagflation, and the AI Job Wipeout. Here's what to do.
Oil up 35%. 92,000 jobs gone. Robots are getting real. The third industrial revolution is starting now. Are You Prepared?
In 1973, a group of Arab nations cut off oil to the United States. Gas lines stretched for miles. Inflation exploded. The stock market crashed 45%. The economy fell into recession. And it all started with one decision about one resource. Oil.
This week, something eerily similar began unfolding.
Oil just posted its biggest weekly gain in the entire history of futures trading. Thirty-five percent. In one week. At the same time, the U.S. lost 92,000 jobs. Wages rose while employment fell. The Fed is frozen. Stagflation, the economic nightmare that defined the 1970s, is back on the table.
Stagflation happens when prices rise while the economy stalls.
We havenât seen it in a generation. But this week, the ingredients came together perfectly. Oil up 35%. Jobs down 92,000. The Fed stuck between fighting inflation and helping growth.
Meanwhile, Anthropic, one of the world's leading AI companies, published new research this week showing that AI can theoretically handle 96% of tasks in Computer & Math roles, 94% in Business & Finance, and 88% in Legal work. And the workers most exposed aren't warehouse workers or truck drivers. They're the ones with graduate degrees, six-figure salaries, and corner offices.
This is one of those weeks where everything is happening at once. The world isn't falling apart. It's changing.
In this issue, weâll connect the dots on the economy, markets, and current events to help you make sense of it all. My goal is simple: Make it easier for you to get smarter with money, investing, and the economy.
đŹ Whatâs in todayâs issue:
Part I - Markets:
1. Market Update & Analysis
2. Important Finance News
3. Chart of the DayPart II - Investing:
4. Insider Trades
5. Top Stocks Right Now
6. Todayâs Trade
7. Fear & Greed Analysis
8. Technical AnalysisPart III - Actionable Advice:
9. Lessons & Points to Remember
10. Final Thoughts
11. Questions from Subscribers
This newsletter takes a few hours to research & write so please help us and:
Hit the LIKE buttonâ¤ď¸ on this post and share this newsletter with friends and family
đBecome a paid subscriber and support our writing & research! (Get a free 30-day trial with this link) (learn about the benefits here):
(1) Market Update & Analysis
đ Everything Important You Need to Know (in 60 seconds):
The Dow is down 2.6% this week, its worst weekly drop since last April. Europeâs Stoxx 600 shed 5.5%, erasing all its year-to-date gains. The MSCI Emerging Markets index dropped 7%, its worst week since COVID.
The U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February, far worse than the forecast gain of 50,000. Unemployment climbed to 4.4%, and itâs now the third time in five months that payrolls have fallen.
Oil prices exploded 35% this week, the biggest weekly gain in futures trading history going back to 1983. WTI crude closed at $90.90 per barrel on Friday, March 6.
The U.S.-Israel war with Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that carries 20% of the worldâs oil and 35% of global fertilizer exports.
The VIX (Wall Streetâs fear gauge) hit its highest level since last April, a clear signal that investor anxiety is surging.
Stagflation fears are rising fast. Rising oil prices plus a weakening labor market is the exact combination the Fed dreads most, and itâs unfolding in real time.
Mortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time since September 2022, dropping to 5.98% this week, per Freddie Mac.
A federal court ordered the Trump administration to refund more than $130 billion in tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision last month.
Cybersecurity stocks surged as a direct result of the Iran conflict. CrowdStrike climbed 15%, Palo Alto Networks and Cloudflare both jumped, and the Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF $CIBR gained nearly 5%.
Tech and software stocks showed pockets of strength, with the iShares IGV software ETF jumping 2.3% and Trade Desk surging 18% on reports of a potential OpenAI partnership.
đĄ Andrewâs Analysis & Advice:
Hereâs the number that should wake you up: oil posted its biggest weekly gain in futures trading history this week. 35% in a single week. Not a month. A week. The last time we saw anything close to this was when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
And the U.S. economy shed 92,000 jobs in February while everyone expected it to add 50,000. Let me put that in perspective. The labor market didnât just disappoint. It flipped.
These two events, the oil shock and the jobs shock, didnât happen in isolation. Theyâre deeply connected. And once you see the thread running through all of it, the picture gets a lot clearer, and a lot more actionable.
It starts with the Iran war. The U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on February 28. Within days, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint that routes roughly 20% of the worldâs oil supply. Iraq, OPECâs second-largest producer, cut output by 60% because tankers canât move. Kuwait and the UAE followed. Qatarâs LNG production went offline after a drone strike. Saudi Arabia started slashing output as storage tanks filled up faster than ships could clear them.
When 20% of the worldâs oil gets pulled offline, prices donât just rise. They explode.
WTI crude closed at $90.90 on Friday, March 6. Brent crude topped $92. Three months ago, oil sat around $55 a barrel. Thatâs nearly a doubling in price. Qatarâs energy minister warned this week that oil could hit $150 per barrel if the Strait stays closed, a scenario he said could âbring down the economies of the world.â Ed Yardeni raised his odds of a 1970s-style stagflation meltdown to 35%. JPMorganâs head of global market intelligence turned âtactically bearish,â forecasting a 10% correction in the S&P 500.
Then came the jobs report on Friday, March 6, like a gut punch. 92,000 jobs lost. Unemployment at 4.4%. Wages up 3.8% year-over-year. That last part, wages rising while jobs fall, is the stagflation combo investors dread most. Prices rising, growth slowing, the Fed caught in the middle with no good moves.
Iâve been around long enough to remember 2022 and the pandemic supply shocks before that. When the Fed gets trapped between fighting inflation and supporting growth, markets pay the price. We may be at that exact moment again.
The VIX spiked to its highest level since last April. Europe had it worse. The MSCI EM index fell 7%, its worst week since COVID. The Dow shed 2.6%.
But hereâs what most people missed: not everything went down. Cybersecurity stocks had one of their best weeks in recent memory. CrowdStrike surged 15%. When $PANWâs Unit 42 flagged a surge in Iranian-linked hack-and-leak campaigns, investors got a very concrete reason to rotate into digital defense. War creates real demand for cybersecurity. Thatâs a catalyst worth tracking.
Mortgage rates, meanwhile, fell to 5.98%, their lowest level since September 2022. Refinancing applications are up 130% compared to February 2025. If youâve been sitting on the fence about refinancing, that window may be open.
The big picture takeaway: The Iran war is driving oil higher. Higher oil fuels inflation. Inflation keeps the Fed from cutting. High rates keep pressure on the economy. Weak jobs data signals the economy is already struggling. Struggling economy plus rising prices equals stagflation risk. Every major market story this week traces back to that same chain.
My advice:
Check your energy exposure. The S&P 500 energy index is still the best-performing sector in 2026.
Look at cybersecurity ETFs like $CIBR as a defensive play tied to geopolitical risk.
If youâre a homeowner, call your lender. With rates at 5.98%, the refinancing math may work in your favor.
Build or protect cash reserves. Fear-driven selloffs historically create buying opportunities for patient investors.
Donât panic. Stagflation fears are real, but markets have survived oil shocks before. Stay diversified and stay disciplined.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(2) Important Finance News
đŹ In this issue we analyze:
1) Oil Crossed $105 a Barrel. Here's What That Means for You.
2) Which Jobs AI Will Eliminate First â New Research.
3) 92,000 Jobs Lost â The Worst Jobs Report in Months Signals Trouble.
4) Bond Markets are Flashing Warning Signs.
5) The Third Industrial Revolution Is Starting Now.
đ¤ But first, how worried are you about AI replacing your job?
1ď¸âŁ Oil Crossed $105 a Barrel. Hereâs What That Means for You.
Oil markets have shifted from pricing âpure geopolitical riskâ to grappling with real, operational disruption. U.S. crude oil surged 35% this week, the biggest weekly gain in futures trading history going back to 1983, with WTI closing above $90 on Friday, March 6.
The crisis point is the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow waterway carries 20% of the worldâs oil supply and 35% of global urea fertilizer exports. Since Iran effectively blockaded it at the start of the conflict, the cascade of consequences has been fast and severe. Iraq, OPECâs second-largest producer, cut output by 60%. Kuwait and the UAE followed. Qatarâs LNG production went offline after a drone strike. Brent crude briefly hit $119 before settling around $104-105 per barrel.
The ripple effects go far beyond the gas station. Airlines will raise ticket prices almost immediately since jet fuel costs surge in lockstep with crude. Diesel fuels everything that moves on a truck or train, so consumer goods get more expensive. And because the Strait also carries 35% of the worldâs fertilizer exports, farmers face skyrocketing input costs. Food experts warn that bread prices could rise within six to ten weeks, with eggs and pork following months later. Fertilizer prices in the Middle East have already jumped from about $130 to $575-$650 per tonne.
Qatarâs energy minister put the nightmare scenario in stark terms, warning that oil could hit $150 a barrel and âbring down the economies of the worldâ if the Strait stays closed.
The stagflation risk is now squarely on the table. Rising energy costs plus a weakening labor market puts the Fed in an impossible position. Bank of America economists warned this week that ânon-linear effects could set in if the shock to oil prices is large and sustained,â with lower-income households particularly vulnerable to surging energy prices pushing delinquency rates higher on credit cards and auto loans.
What it means long term: Global supply chains have already been under years of stress from COVID and tariffs. This conflict adds a new layer on top. âGlobal supply chains are a lot less resilient than they once were,â Christopher Hodge, chief U.S. economist at Natixis CIB Americas, told Axios this week. âThereâs going to be a more direct pass-through from energy shocks to consumer goods.â
My advice: Energy stocks like ExxonMobil and Chevron stand to benefit in the near term. Fertilizer producers like Nutrien and CF Industries could see significant tailwinds as supply tightens. But stay cautious about chasing the spike. If oil stays this high long enough, it eventually kills consumer spending, which damages even energy demand.
2ď¸âŁ Which Jobs AI Will Eliminate First â New Research.
A new research paper published this week by Anthropic economists Maxim Massenkoff and Peter McCrory may be one of the most important documents for any professional to read right now, not because itâs the most alarming prediction, but because of what it reveals about timing.
AI can theoretically handle 96% of tasks in Computer & Math roles, 94% in Business & Finance, and 88% in Legal fields. But hereâs the critical insight most headlines missed: actual real-world AI usage is a fraction of that. Claude currently covers only 32-33% of tasks in Computer & Math in observed professional settings. The gap between âwhat AI can doâ and âwhat AI is actually doingâ is enormous.
But that gap is closing. And when it closes, the workers most at risk are not who most people expect.
The research introduces a new metric called âObserved Exposure,â which compares theoretical AI capability against real-world usage data pulled from Claude interactions. The finding that jumps off the page: the most AI-exposed workers are 16 percentage points more likely to be female, earn 47% more on average, and are nearly four times as likely to hold a graduate degree compared to the least exposed group. Thatâs the lawyer. The financial analyst. The software developer. Not the warehouse worker.
The five most exposed occupations identified: computer programmers, customer service representatives, data entry keyers, medical record specialists, and market research analysts.
The paper raises a scenario everyone in the knowledge economy should be thinking about: a âGreat Recession for white-collar workers.â During the 2007-2009 financial crisis, the U.S. unemployment rate doubled from 5% to 10%. A comparable doubling in AI-exposed occupations, from 3% to 6%, is now a realistic possibility. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously said AI could displace up to half of entry-level white-collar jobs.
Meanwhile, Anthropic reported this week that it has filed suit against the Trump administration after being designated a supply chain risk, adding a geopolitical twist to an already complex AI landscape.
What it means long term: The hiring slowdown in AI-exposed fields is already detectable. Research shows a 14% drop in the job-finding rate in AI-exposed occupations since ChatGPTâs launch compared to 2022. Young workers arenât being mass-laid off, but theyâre not being hired. Thatâs a slow-motion labor market shift that wonât show up loudly in any single jobs report but will compound quietly over years.
My advice: If your career is in finance, law, software, or any knowledge-worker field, the smartest move is to become the person who uses AI rather than the one replaced by it. Treat AI proficiency as a required skill, not an optional one. The professionals who thrive over the next decade will be those who multiply their output with AI tools. Learn the tools now, before the gap closes.
3ď¸âŁ 92,000 Jobs Lost â The Worst Jobs Report in Months Signals Trouble.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a painful jobs report on Friday, March 6. The U.S. shed 92,000 jobs in February, the third time in five months payrolls have fallen. Wall Street expected a gain of 50,000. Healthcare lost 28,000 jobs, largely tied to a Kaiser Permanente strike that sidelined over 30,000 workers. Manufacturing shed 12,000. Information technology lost 11,000. Federal government employment fell another 10,000, bringing the total federal workforce reduction to 330,000, or 11% of total federal employment, since October 2024.
The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, from 4.3% in January. Average hourly earnings rose 3.8% year-over-year, both above expectations. Wages rising while jobs fall is not a healthy sign. It suggests companies are holding onto fewer, higher-paid workers while cutting everyone else, a pattern that tends to accelerate into downturns.
âThis is a conundrum,â Fitch Ratings economist Olu Sonola wrote this week. âJust when it looked like the labor market was stabilizing, this report delivers a knock-down blow to that view.â
The Federal Reserve is now caught in a genuine dilemma. Traders are currently pricing in the next Fed rate cut for July, with two cuts expected before year-end. But with oil prices surging and inflation reawakening, those expectations could shift fast.
What it means long term: A labor market that appeared to be firming is now signaling the opposite, with fresh geopolitical headwinds arriving at the worst possible time. Manufacturing, the politically important sector President Trump promised to revive through tariffs, shed 12,000 jobs last month, suggesting the tariff-driven reshoring thesis has yet to deliver. If the Iran war drags on, Februaryâs numbers could look mild by comparison.
My advice: Stress-test your financial situation now. If your income comes from an AI-exposed or economically sensitive sector, build a six-to-twelve month emergency fund. Max out your 401(k), especially if your employer offers a match. Watch the March jobs report closely. If the Kaiser strike reversal boosts healthcare hiring, the February number may prove temporary. If it doesnât, the slowdown is structural.
4ď¸âŁ Bond Markets are Flashing Warning Signs.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed back above 4.1% this week after briefly dipping below 4% last week. Goldman Sachs economists wrote this week that even with Brent crude at $80 per barrel, inflation will rise and growth will slow. If the Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed and oil pushes to $100 a barrel, the inflation impact could be severe.
The 10-year Treasury yield is the most important number in finance. It sets the floor for mortgage rates, business loan rates, auto loans, and student loans. When yields rise, borrowing gets more expensive for everyone, from homebuyers to small business owners.
Three European Central Bank policymakers warned this week that euro-zone inflation would rise and growth would sag if the Iran war drags on. âEuropean short-term bonds are now pricing in the chance of a rate hike, not a cut, showing just how quickly inflation fears have escalated,â Citiâs head of markets trading strategy told Axios this week.
Traders are currently pricing in a 97% chance the Fed holds rates steady at its March meeting.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon described the situation on CNBC this week as a âskunk at a party.â If the conflict is short, the inflation hit is limited. But if itâs prolonged, the damage compounds fast, through energy, food, transportation, and consumer goods, all at once.
What it means long term: We are in the early innings of a potential global inflation rerun. The Fed never got inflation fully back to its 2% target before this new shock arrived. Tariff costs were just beginning to hit consumers when the Supreme Court struck them down. Now oil is adding a third inflationary wave. âCentral banks around the world who werenât planning on raising rates this year may find themselves in a very awkward position,â Rebecca Patterson of the Council on Foreign Relations said this week.
My advice: Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), commodities, and energy stocks all tend to perform better during inflationary environments. Real estate is a long-term inflation hedge, though rising mortgage rates are a near-term headwind. Keep bond duration short if you hold fixed income. The longer the duration, the more bond prices fall when yields rise.
5ď¸âŁ The Third Industrial Revolution Is Starting Now.
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas published research arguing that robotics will usher in the third Industrial Revolution, potentially generating $25 trillion in combined robot revenue by 2050. And events this week suggest that timeline may be compressing.
Tesla is ending production of its Model S and X vehicles and converting that factory capacity into a humanoid robot production line for its Optimus robot. Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes Optimus will cost $20,000 to produce at scale. Chinese EV maker XPeng is ramping up its own humanoid robot production, with Citi estimating it could deliver 1,000 units in Q4 this year. Meanwhile, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD are all aggressively pitching robotics chip solutions.
The current industrial robot industry is dominated by Germanyâs Kuka (owned by Chinaâs Midea), Switzerlandâs ABB, and Japanâs Fanuc and Yaskawa. These are fixed robots doing factory work. The new wave is different: AI-powered humanoid robots designed to operate anywhere humans work.
Every robot needs chips, software, connectivity, and power. That makes the robotics boom a rising tide for multiple sectors simultaneously: Nvidia for AI chips, cloud companies for data connectivity, energy producers for rising power demand, and a new generation of robotics-specific hardware and software companies.
What it means long term: Robots accelerate the trends already reshaping the economy. They deepen demand for AI chips. They increase power consumption. They support the U.S. manufacturing renaissance. And they put pressure on labor markets in sectors AI canât yet reach. The jobs most at risk from robots are different from those threatened by AI, but together they represent a comprehensive restructuring of the workforce over the coming decade.
My advice: Get exposure to the robotics theme through diversified ETFs like the Global X Robotics & AI ETF ($BOTZ) before individual stock bets. Watch Teslaâs Optimus production milestones. Track Nvidiaâs data center revenue as the infrastructure backbone for everything AI-powered, including robotics.
đĄ Andrewâs Analysis & Advice:
These five stories share a common thread âthe old economic order is being disrupted from multiple directions at once.
Oil shocks threaten consumers. AI threatens white-collar workers. Weak jobs data threatens confidence. Inflation threatens the Fed's ability to help. And robotics threaten the manufacturing jobs that tariffs were supposed to protect.
Oil prices arenât just about energy. Theyâre about supply chain fragility exposed by geopolitical conflict. AI isnât just about technology. Itâs about labor market disruption that could reshape white-collar work. Jobs data isnât just about employment. Itâs about an economy losing momentum at the worst possible time. Inflation isnât just about prices. Itâs about central banks trapped between competing crises. Robots arenât just about machines. Theyâre about the next wave of automation meeting a workforce already under pressure.
The takeaway? Weâre living through multiple disruptions at once. Energy shocks, labor market shifts, technological transformation, and inflation pressures are colliding.
The right response is not panic. It is preparation.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X/ Twitter, Instagram Threads, or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(3) Chart of the Day
The Chart That Should Make Every White-Collar Worker Uncomfortable
đĄ Andrewâs Analysis & Advice:
This Anthropic chart is one of the most important data visualizations in markets right now. Most people see the headline and move on. Donât. Spend a minute with the actual numbers.
The blue bars represent what AI could theoretically do in each job category. The red bars show what AI is actually doing today, measured through real Claude usage data. The gap between the two is breathtaking.
Computer & Math workers: AI can theoretically handle 96% of their tasks. Today it handles only 32%. Business & Finance: 94% theoretical capability, just 28% observed. Office & Admin: 94% theoretical, 42% observed. Management: 92% theoretical, 25% observed. Legal: 88% theoretical, 15% observed.
Hereâs the insight most people miss: the gap is not a safety zone. Itâs a countdown timer.
Think of it this way. AI has been handed a master key to the entire building of white-collar work. Itâs only tried 15-40% of the doors so far. The rest are sitting there, unlocked, waiting. As AI capabilities improve and enterprise adoption deepens, that red bar will grow to fill the blue. The question isnât âif.â Itâs âhow fast.â
Now look at the bottom of the chart. Construction: 18% theoretical capability, 3% observed. Agriculture: 15% theoretical, 2% observed. Food & Serving: 12% theoretical, 2% observed. Grounds Maintenance: 10% theoretical, 2% observed. The gap almost disappears because these jobs require physical presence. You canât automate a plumber or a cook over the internet.
This creates one of the great financial ironies of our time. The higher your salary today, the more exposed you may be tomorrow. The lawyer billing $500 an hour is more replaceable by AI than the electrician charging $150. The financial analyst with a Harvard MBA is more vulnerable than the HVAC technician. The traditional markers of career security, education, credentials, high pay, are now the same traits that show up most prominently on AIâs target list.
For investors, the investment implication runs in both directions. Every sector with a massive gap between theoretical and observed AI adoption represents enormous future productivity gains. Companies in Business & Finance, Computer & Math, and Office & Admin that successfully close that gap will earn huge cost advantages over competitors who donât. Higher margins. Higher earnings. Higher stock prices. But those gains come at a human cost as the red bars grow.
The practical takeaway from this chart:
If your career is in the blue zone (the high-gap categories), the time to adapt is now, before the red catches up. Use AI tools today. Build skills that complement AI rather than compete with it. Judgment, relationships, creativity, and physical presence are the moats that matter.
If youâre an investor, watch which companies in the high-exposure sectors are aggressively adopting AI. Those companies are likely to be the compounders of the next decade. The ones that donât will be disrupted from within.
This newsletter takes a few hours to research & write so please help us and:
Hit the LIKE button on this post and share this newsletter with friends & family
Become a paid subscriber to support our writing & research! (Get a free 30-day trial with this link) (learn about the benefits here):
(Your job can pay for this newsletter with its employee development budget â Send this email template to your manager)
(4) Insider Trades from Billionaires, Politicians, and CEOs:
When people with deep knowledge, such as politicians who set policy, executives who run the company, or legendary investors, put their own money on the line, pay attention.
1. ContextLogic Holdings $WISH
Abrams Capital Management made a significant bet on ContextLogic Holdings, filing the purchase on February 26, 2026. The firm bought 1,758,794 shares at $7.00 each for a total of $12,311,558.
Abrams Capital Management is a Boston-based value investing hedge fund run by David Abrams, a former protĂŠgĂŠ of Seth Klarman, the legendary value investor behind Baupost Group. Abrams runs one of the most concentrated, high-conviction portfolios in the hedge fund world, known for deep research, extreme patience, and buying deeply unloved names at distressed prices. The firm rarely makes headlines, which is exactly why you should pay attention when it does.
ContextLogic Holdings, formerly known as Wish, operates a discount mobile shopping marketplace that once boasted over 100 million active users before losing significant ground to Shein, Temu, and Amazonâs marketplace expansion. The company has been restructuring toward a marketplace-as-a-service model, shifting from direct-to-consumer sales to providing infrastructure for third-party merchants.
A $12.3 million bet by a Klarman-trained value fund on a company trading at $7 a share signals one thing: Abrams sees something the rest of the market is ignoring. Value investors go where nobody else wants to be. Whether ContextLogicâs turnaround delivers is still an open question, but when one of the most disciplined minds in hedge fund investing writes an eight-figure check for a beaten-down name, itâs worth adding to your watchlist.
2. Asbury Automotive Group $ABG
Asbury Automotive Group $ABG saw its President and CEO, David W. Hult, file a purchase on March 9, 2026. Hult bought 5,000 shares at $205.34 each for a total investment of $1,026,706, increasing his ownership stake by 6%.
Asbury Automotive $ABG is one of the largest automotive retail groups in the United States, operating dealerships for premium brands including Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. The auto sector faces a complex environment right now. New car prices are at record highs, with destination fees alone averaging $1,600 per vehicle. Rising oil prices could shift buyer preferences toward fuel-efficient vehicles. And consumer confidence is under pressure.
Despite all of that, Hult is buying. That signals he sees the stockâs recent pullback as an overreaction to macro fears rather than a reflection of the businessâs underlying strength. CEO purchases during market selloffs are one of the most historically reliable bullish signals in investing research.
3. Amrize Ltd $AMRZ
Amrize Ltd $AMRZ saw its Chairman and CEO, Jan Philipp Jenisch, file a purchase on March 9, 2026. Jenisch bought 60,000 shares at $58.05 each for a total investment of $3,483,000, increasing his already substantial stake by 3%.
Amrize $AMRZ is the newly listed U.S.-focused building materials company spun off from Swiss construction giant Holcim. Think cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete. With U.S. infrastructure spending still significant and Americaâs housing shortage requiring millions of new homes, Amrize sits at the intersection of two durable long-term demand drivers.
A $3.5 million purchase by the sitting CEO right after a market pullback sends one of the clearest signals in investing. Jenisch already owns over 2.2 million shares. Heâs not diversifying. Heâs doubling down. Building materials companies are cyclical, but when you need cement and concrete to build roads, bridges, and homes, the long-term demand doesnât go away. It just gets delayed.
4. CSX Corporation $CSX
CSX Corporation $CSX had its President and CEO, Stephen F. Angel, file a purchase on March 6, 2026. Angel bought 25,000 shares at $40.27 per share for a total investment of $1,006,750, increasing his ownership stake by 20%.
CSX $CSX is one of Americaâs largest freight rail operators, moving coal, chemicals, automobiles, and consumer goods across the eastern United States. With global supply chains under historic stress from the Iran conflict and energy prices surging, freight rail infrastructure becomes both more critical and more economically complex to operate.
A 20% increase in ownership stake is not a casual move. When the CEO of a major freight railroad puts $1 million of personal capital into company stock during a market selloff, the message is unmistakable: he thinks this stock is cheap. Angel has seen this company through economic cycles. His conviction here carries real weight.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(5) Top Stocks Right Now
1) Xenon Pharmaceuticals $XENE â Up +50% on Mon 3/9
Xenon Pharmaceuticals $XENE surged +50% on Monday, March 9, in one of the biggest single-session biotech moves of the year. The catalyst was a major Phase 3 clinical trial win: positive results from its study of azetukalner in focal onset seizures, a form of epilepsy.
Xenon $XENE is a Canadian clinical-stage biotech focused on neurological disorders. Azetukalner is a potassium channel modulator, and a Phase 3 win is the critical milestone before FDA review. For context, most drugs never make it to Phase 3. Those that do and succeed have a clear runway toward approval and commercialization. Epilepsy affects about 3.4 million Americans, and new treatment options with cleaner side effect profiles are in genuine demand. The big risk from here is the FDA review process and eventual commercial execution, but this Phase 3 result clears the most important hurdle.
2) Tenaya Therapeutics $TNYA â Up +41% on Wed 3/5
Tenaya Therapeutics $TNYA soared +41% on Wednesday, March 5, after announcing a $1.13 billion research partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to develop treatments for heart disease.
Tenaya $TNYA is a gene therapy company focused on cardiovascular disease. Landing a $1.13 billion deal with Alnylam, one of the most respected names in RNA therapeutics, is a massive validation of Tenayaâs science and platform. For a small-cap biotech, this kind of partnership doesnât just mean cash. It means credibility, access to Alnylamâs development infrastructure, and a co-development path into one of the largest markets in medicine. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in America. The long-term market opportunity is enormous if the science holds.
3) Plug Power $PLUG â Up +23% on Mon 3/3
Plug Power $PLUG surged +23% on Monday, March 3, following a strong fourth quarter that exceeded analyst expectations.
Plug Power $PLUG is a leading provider of hydrogen fuel cell systems used in forklifts, data centers, and industrial equipment. The company has been a volatile story for years, with big promises and persistent losses. A strong Q4 gives bulls reason to believe the turnaround is gaining traction. With the Iran conflict driving oil prices to multi-year highs this week, clean energy alternatives like hydrogen attract renewed attention as long-term alternatives to fossil fuel dependency. Still, Plug Power remains a high-risk, high-reward story.
4) Samsara $IOT â Up +20% on Fri 3/6
Samsara $IOT advanced +20% on Friday, March 6, after delivering better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results across revenue, earnings, and full-year guidance.
Samsara $IOT is a connected operations platform that helps large fleets including trucking companies, construction firms, and utilities track and manage physical operations using IoT sensors and AI-powered software. With global supply chains under historic stress from the Iran conflict, the demand for real-time operational visibility has never been more critical. Samsaraâs strong quarter validates that demand is real and growing. This is a company structurally positioned to benefit from exactly the kind of complex, disrupted world weâre living in.
5) Trade Desk $TTD â Up +18% on Wed 3/5
Trade Desk $TTD advanced +18% on Wednesday, March 5, amid reports it may help sell advertising on ChatGPT through a potential partnership with OpenAI.
Trade Desk $TTD is the largest independent demand-side advertising platform, helping brands buy digital ad space across the open internet. A partnership with OpenAI to monetize ChatGPT through programmatic advertising would be a game-changer. ChatGPT has over 100 million users, and AI-powered search is increasingly how people find products and services. If Trade Desk becomes the infrastructure layer for AI platform advertising, it positions itself as the backbone of the next generation of digital ad buying. The long-term compounding opportunity from that kind of positioning is significant.
6) Marvell Technology $MRVL â Up +18% on Fri 3/6
Marvell Technology $MRVL rose +18% on Friday, March 6, after reporting a strong Q4 driven by surging demand for its custom AI chips and data center networking products.
Marvell $MRVL designs semiconductors with a growing focus on custom AI chips built specifically for hyperscale cloud providers. While Nvidia captures most AI chip headlines, Marvell is building a quieter custom chip business with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Custom chips are more efficient for specific AI workloads than general-purpose GPUs, and the hyperscaler demand for customization is enormous. Marvell is one of the less-celebrated but more durable winners of the AI infrastructure buildout.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(6) Todayâs Trade
The options market is where the smartest traders place their biggest bets. I monitor options flow activity daily.
1. DICK'S Sporting Goods $DKS
Something unusual hit the options market this week for DICKâS Sporting Goods $DKS, and itâs worth paying attention to.
Unusual call activity emerged with a 5-to-1 call-to-put ratio, a strongly bullish setup. The action centered on a block of 1,390 contracts bought on the March 20, 2026 $200 call option for $7.50 per contract, against a bid/ask spread of $6.50 to $7.70. Since the trade hit above the midpoint of the spread and represents new open interest rather than a position being closed, this reads as a fresh, intentional bullish bet.
In plain language: someone just paid meaningful premium to bet that DICKâS Sporting Goods $DKS will trade above $200 by March 20. The breakeven on this trade is $207.50, which means the buyer needs a real move in a short window.
DICKâS Sporting Goods $DKS is Americaâs largest full-line sporting goods retailer, selling athletic apparel, footwear, golf equipment, hunting gear, and team sports merchandise across more than 850 locations. The stock has pulled back along with the broader consumer discretionary sector as investors worry that rising energy costs and consumer stress will weaken spending.
Why might someone be bullish here?
Sporting goods retailers often show resilience during economic uncertainty. When travel and big-ticket experiences become expensive, people stay local and invest in outdoor hobbies and fitness. DICKâS has also been executing well operationally, expanding its higher-margin private-label brands and growing its premium experiential store format.
The 5-to-1 call-to-put ratio reflects a market leaning heavily bullish on this name despite the macro headwinds. The options flow looks purposeful, not random.
My take: Iâm cautiously bullish on this trade. The options positioning looks intentional and confident. But the short March 20 expiration window and the current consumer spending pressure from rising gas prices create real risk. If youâre following this trade, keep position sizes disciplined and respect the risk. The upside is real, but so is the time decay.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(7) Fear & Greed Analysis
How do you cut through the noise and understand whatâs really happening? The secret is to look at the feelings people, the actions of investors, and the facts about the economy.
Overall Reading: Extreme Fear
The Fear & Greed Index has cratered into extreme fear territory, driven by the dual shock of surging oil prices and the disappointing jobs report. When investors are this scared, itâs often a signal that the market has oversoldâbut it can always get worse before it gets better.
Market Sentiment: Negative
Bond yields have spiked as traders price in the risk of inflation staying higher for longer. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped as investors dumped stocks and sought safety in government debt. This is classic risk-off behaviorâwhen oil shocks hit, the first move is always toward safety.
What This Means for Investors
Extreme fear readings often mark bottoms, but they can also persist for weeks if the underlying catalyst doesnât resolve. The key question: does the Iran conflict escalate further, or do we see a path to de-escalation? Until thereâs clarity on that, expect continued volatility.
The smartest move: stay diversified, avoid making panic selling decisions, and look for quality assets that get punished in the selloff. History shows that buying during periods of extreme fear tends to pay off over the following 6-12 months.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(8) Technical Analysis
Technical levels matter because theyâre where millions of traders have programmed their buy and sell orders. When key levels break, algorithms kick in and magnify moves.
1) S&P 500 SPY 0.00%â
Trend: Neutral (Short-Term)
Analysis: The S&P 500 has broken the floor of its short-term rising trend channel. It has also broken a âdouble topâ formation. This is textbook bearish price action. The next major support level to watch is at 6,720. If the index breaks decisively below that, the next stop could be 6,620.
This aligns with the âExtreme Fearâ sentiment. The market isnât in freefall, but it has lost its upward momentum and is now vulnerable.
2) Tech Stocks QQQ 0.00%â
Trend: Negative (Short-Term)
Analysis: The Nasdaq is in worse shape than the S&P. It has broken down through key support at 24,700.
This confirms our thesis. The AI and tech trade, which drove the market for two years, is cooling off the fastest. The high-valuation names are getting hit as investors rotate away from risk.
3) Bitcoin $BTC
Trend: Negative (Short-Term)
Analysis: Bitcoin is in a clear falling trend channel. It has broken down through support at $68,000. The dominant trend is down.
Context: Bitcoin is the ultimate ârisk-onâ asset. Its negative trend across all timeframes tells us that liquidity is being pulled out of the market. Investors are selling their most speculative holdings first. When Bitcoin bleeds, itâs a sign that the global appetite for risk is drying up.
4) What This Means
The S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and Bitcoin are all pointing in the same direction right now: short-term downward pressure is real and has technical confirmation.
The S&P 500 is neutral but losing support. The Nasdaq is negative with a confirmed breakdown. Bitcoin is negative. When the broad stock market, the tech-heavy index, and the leading crypto all weaken together, thatâs a coherent signal driven by shared macro forces: the Iran war, oil shock, inflation reawakening, and risk-off sentiment.
A Message from RAD Intel:
Rad Intel is the AI Fix for Billions in Wasted Ads
RAD Intel is building the AI platform designed to turn that inefficiency into a massive opportunity. Their AI predicts exactly what advertising content works before brands spend a dollar. The result is measurable: campaigns delivering up to 3.5x ROAS and backing from insiders from Google, Meta and Amazon.
The numbers behind it:
Recurring 7-figure contracts with global brands. Sectors using the tech include gaming, entertainment, food and beverage and fashion
164% year-over-year revenue growth, with sales contracts doubling in 2025
$60M+ raised from 15,000+ investors, Nasdaq ticker $RADI reserved
(9) Lessons & Points to Remember:
Fear readings below 30 on the Fear & Greed Index have historically been better long-term buying opportunities than selling signals. The index is at 27. That doesn't mean the bottom is in. It means quality assets are on sale.
Stagflation risk is now on the table. Rising oil prices plus a weakening labor market creates the exact scenario the Federal Reserve hates the most.
The third Industrial Revolution is starting now through robotics. Tesla is converting auto factories to robot production. Morgan Stanley projects $25 trillion in robot revenue by 2050. This trend will reshape labor markets alongside AI.
The 10-year Treasury yield is the most important number in finance. When it rises, everything gets more expensive: mortgages, car loans, business loans, student loans. It rose again this week. Watch it closely.
The U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February when economists expected 50,000 added. This is the third job loss in five months. The labor market is cracking.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(10) Final Thoughts:
Ten years from now, weâll look back at this moment as a turning point.
The AI revolution will have either created enormous wealth or massive displacement, depending on who adapted and who didnât. The energy shock will have either triggered a prolonged downturn or created generational buying opportunities, depending on who was prepared. The labor market shifts will have either devastated the unprepared or opened new paths for the flexible.
I donât know exactly how it plays out. Nobody does. But I know this. The investors who pay attention, who stay informed, who act with discipline rather than emotion, those are the ones who come out ahead.
Look, Iâve been around long enough to know that crisis creates opportunity. Every major market dislocation in my careerâthe 2008 crash, the 2020 pandemic, the 2022 inflation shockâcreated fortunes for people who stayed calm and acted strategically.
The Iran conflict will end. Oil prices will stabilize. The economy will adapt. But the decisions you make in the next few weeks will define your portfolio for years.
This isnât about predicting the future. Itâs about being ready for whatever comes.
Stay sharp. Stay invested. Stay ahead.
đ For daily insights, follow me on X /Twitter; Instagram Threads; Facebook; or BlueSky, and turn on notifications!
(11) Questions from Subscribers
Welcome to our Q&A, where I answer the questions you send me!
Q: Is this the start of stagflation?
Itâs the highest risk weâve seen since the 1970s. Stagflation requires three things: rising inflation, stagnant growth, and high unemployment. We have rising oil (inflation), a jobs report showing 92,000 losses (stagnation), and unemployment at 4.4% (rising). The Fed is now trapped between fighting inflation and supporting growth. The risk is real, but itâs not a certainty yet. Watch the next two jobs reports closely.
Q: Whatâs the smartest thing I can do with my 401(k) right now?
Donât touch it. The single worst thing most investors do in a market selloff is sell their 401(k) holdings in a panic. That locks in losses at exactly the wrong time and means you miss the recovery.
If youâre younger than 50, a market pullback is actually a gift. Your regular contributions are now buying more shares at lower prices. If your employer offers a match, make sure youâre contributing at least enough to capture it. Thatâs an instant 50-100% return on your contribution, which no stock can match.
If youâre nearing retirement, this is a good time to review your allocation and ensure youâre not overexposed to volatile sectors. But rebalancing is different from panic-selling. Stay invested. Stay diversified. Stay disciplined.
Q: How long will the Iran conflict affect markets?
Nobody knows. Thatâs the honest answer. The market is currently pricing in uncertainty, not certainty. If the conflict resolves quickly, oil prices could fall sharply and relief rallies could follow. If it drags on, supply disruptions compound and inflation pressures build. The key variable is the Strait of Hormuz. As long as that waterway remains effectively closed, the oil shock persists. Watch for news on negotiations, ceasefires, or escalation. Each development will move markets.
Q: Is AI really going to replace white-collar workers?
Yes and no. AI will replace tasks, not necessarily entire jobs. The research shows AI can theoretically handle most tasks in knowledge-worker fields, but actual adoption is still a fraction of theoretical capability. The workers most at risk are those who do repetitive information processing. The workers least at risk are those who combine judgment, relationships, creativity, and physical presence. The smart move is to become the person who uses AI to multiply your output rather than waiting to see if you get replaced.
đLast Words:
đThank you for reading and joining 110,000 subscribers who trust our newsletter to get smarter and richer! My goal is simple: Make it easy for you to connect the dots on the economy, markets, and investing.
Each newsletter takes a few hours to research & write so please help us and:
Hit the LIKE buttonâ¤ď¸ on this post & share it with friends and family
đBecome a paid subscriber and support our writing & research (get a free 30-day trial with this link) (and learn about the benefits here):
(fyi, your job can pay for this newsletter with its employee development budget. To make it easy, weâve created this email template to send to your manager.)
And please let us know what you think of this newsletter:
Missed an issue? Read past issues here at TheFinanceNewsletter.com
âşď¸ My goal is to help you become richer and smarter with money â Join 3 million and follow me across social media for daily insights:
Instagram Threads: @Fluent.In.Finance
Twitter/ X: @FluentInFinance
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/FluentInFinance
Linkedin: Linkedin.com/in/Lokenauth
Youtube: Youtube.com/FluentInFinance
Instagram: @Fluent.In.Finance
TikTok: @FluentInFinance
Facebook Group: Facebook.com/Groups/FinanceTalk
Reddit Community: r/FluentInFinance
âPlease add this newsletter to your contacts to ensure that none of our emails ever go to spam!
This content is for educational purposes only. Such information should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. See for Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions.