The technology sector experienced a volatile first quarter, marked by a broad selloff and additional pressure from the U.S.–Iran conflict amid wider global market weakness. The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF declined 7.90% in Q1, lagging behind the broader markets, which lost 4.81% during the same period. In February, Ray Wang , founder and chairman of Constellation Research, highl...
The technology sector experienced a volatile first quarter, marked by a broad selloff and additional pressure from the U.S.–Iran conflict amid wider global market weakness. The State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF declined 7.90% in Q1, lagging behind the broader markets, which lost 4.81% during the same period. In February, Ray Wang , founder and chairman of Constellation Research, highlighted that the selloff overreaction was driven by misplaced fears that artificial intelligence would eliminate the need for software. In a CNBC interview, Wang said strong SaaS companies are being unfairly punished, calling it an unwarranted “SaaS apocalypse.” Meanwhile, a Morgan Stanley report, earlier that month, highlighted the technology’s shift from a novelty to a routine tool. The bank’s AlphaWise survey of roughly 2,000 U.S. consumers indicated widespread adoption across both personal and professional use cases. Around 75% of respondents reported using AI for personal purposes, while 72% said they use it at work in some capacity, with nearly 20% using it on a daily basis. With this, AI-induced layoffs also ramped up. However, this sell-off represented a buying opportunity in the AI revolution, particularly in cybersecurity and software sectors, Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives said in March. Top Performers of Q1 Sandisk ( SNDK ): +141.17% YTD Lumentum Holdings ( LITE ): +77.65% YTD Ciena ( CIEN ): +56.07% YTD Corning ( GLW ): +46.81% YTD Western Digital ( WDC ): +46.09% YTD Bottom Performers of Q1 AppLovin ( APP ) -44.78% YTD Workday ( WDAY ): -40.05% YTD Fair Isaac ( FICO ): -38.01% YTD Gartner ( IT ): -36.92% YTD Intuit ( INTU ): -35.23% YTD While concerns persist that AI will displace large segments of the workforce, Seeking Alpha analyst David Templeton argues the technology is ultimately additive, supporting employment and economic growth. “In my view, AI will be additive to employment and economic growth. This has been the case in prior economic periods like the i...
PaulMcKinnon/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Last December, BlackBerry Limited ( BB ) shares fell by 10% after posting third-quarter results . Since then, the stock returned -14.85%, underperforming the S&P 500 ( SPY ), which fell by 4.91%. Last month, the seven-day sessions reasserted the bearish sentiment, hurting investors. With BB stock still in a downtrend, what will the fourth-quarter earn...
PaulMcKinnon/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Last December, BlackBerry Limited ( BB ) shares fell by 10% after posting third-quarter results . Since then, the stock returned -14.85%, underperforming the S&P 500 ( SPY ), which fell by 4.91%. Last month, the seven-day sessions reasserted the bearish sentiment, hurting investors. With BB stock still in a downtrend, what will the fourth-quarter earnings report look like? Fourth-Quarter Earnings Expectations Readers may view the earnings expectations from this tab . Seven analysts forecast an EPS of $0.15 in the fiscal period ending in February 2026. That is a nearly six-fold increase in Y/Y growth on a forward price-to-earnings of 21.6 times. Seeking Alpha Fewer analysts offered an EPS forecast for FY 2028. Four analysts forecast a $0.19 EPS in two years for a forward P/E of 16.4 times. Comparing BlackBerry’s stock valuation to its peers, the stock scored a B on valuation. Its Growth grade is comparatively better than that of two other peers: On Semiconductor ( ON ) and Kyndryl Holdings ( KD ). Seeking Alpha Above: BB stock ranks 25 th out of 43 in the industry. Rubrik ( RBRK ) ranks higher. Below: Kyndryl shares lost half their value in 2026, undermining its B+ profitability grade and underscoring its A- on valuation. On February 9, Kyndryl delayed key filings that included the 10-Q . It is reviewing its accounting. Additionally, it lost its Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel. The senior vice president, Vineet Khurana, stepped down from his position. Seeking Alpha Opportunities With BlackBerry BlackBerry touted QNX’s total addressable market in the automotive sector. BMW ( BMWKY ), which is a champion in implementing innovative OEM, is embracing QNX. It demands performance and intelligence in the system. That is why it will implement BlackBerry’s operating system and hypervisor software solution. That should encourage BMW’s competitors, like Mercedes-Benz Group ( MBGAF ), to continue using QNX as the backbon...
Kitti Suwaneakkasit/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong On Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (the last day of the month and the first quarter), the global markets witnessed a set of magnificent rallies on the four major US benchmark stock indices: S&P 500 (+2.9%), Nasdaq 100 (+3.4%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (+2.5%), and small-cap Russell 2000 (+3.4%) all notched their best daily performance since Ma...
Kitti Suwaneakkasit/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong On Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (the last day of the month and the first quarter), the global markets witnessed a set of magnificent rallies on the four major US benchmark stock indices: S&P 500 (+2.9%), Nasdaq 100 (+3.4%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (+2.5%), and small-cap Russell 2000 (+3.4%) all notched their best daily performance since May 2025. These explosive V-shaped intraday rallies seen in the US stock market were ignited by optimism of a potential de-escalation of the ongoing five-week US-Iran war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told EU Council president António Costa that Iran has "the necessary will to end this war" but expects certain guarantees in exchange, a hint that the Iranian leadership may be open to negotiations. Thereafter, towards the end of Tuesday’s US session, US President Trump mentioned that the US-Iran war may end within two to three weeks, suggested the US has accomplished its military goals, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may not be necessary to end the war. On Wednesday, April 1, at 9 p.m. Washington time, US President Trump will deliver an official speech to address the current situation in Iran, according to the White House’s press office. Interestingly, the rallies seen on the major US stock indices can be due to short-covering and potential window dressing for month-end and quarter-end. Technical analysis suggests a potential mean reversion rebound (a dead cat bounce) rather than the start of a medium-term bullish reversal inflection point. Let’s break it down. Longer-term price actions are bearish Fig. 1: S&P 500 long-term secular trend as of March 31, 2026 (Source: TradingView) Fig. 2: Nasdaq 100 long-term secular trend as of March 31, 2026 (Source: TradingView) Fig. 3: Dow Jones Industrial Average long-term secular trend as of March 31, 2026 (Source: TradingView) The 3-month charts of the cash stock indices have formed bearish reversal candlestick patterns ...
Gilnature Megacap tech stocks will be the first to recover from recent market volatility due to their “most identifiable earnings power,” according to Kara Murphy, chief investment officer of Kestra Investment Management. In an interview with CNBC, Murphy pointed to valuation degradation among large-cap tech names as creating an attractive entry point for investors willing to look past current geo...
Gilnature Megacap tech stocks will be the first to recover from recent market volatility due to their “most identifiable earnings power,” according to Kara Murphy, chief investment officer of Kestra Investment Management. In an interview with CNBC, Murphy pointed to valuation degradation among large-cap tech names as creating an attractive entry point for investors willing to look past current geopolitical uncertainty. Murphy categorized the conflict in Iran alongside other market disruptions like AI disruption, tariffs, and private credit concerns as “noise” that investors should ultimately look through. Citing research dating back to 1940, she noted that markets are up more than two-thirds of the time twelve months after major geopolitical events. “These conflicts tend to be fairly well contained. They tend to be short-lived, and then the market then gets back to fundamentals,” Murphy explained. The investment chief expressed confidence in the earnings outlook for U.S. companies heading into 2026, with expectations of 15% earnings growth compared to a historical average of 9%. Murphy described this as “phenomenal earnings power,” though she acknowledged her optimism assumes the current conflict remains relatively short-lived and oil prices recede to more sustainable levels over the coming months. Beyond megacap tech, Murphy sees opportunity in mid-cap ( IJH ), ( VO ), ( IWR ), ( MDY ), ( VOE ) and small-cap stocks ( IJR ), ( IWM ), ( VB ), ( VBR ), ( VBK ), which she believes could catch up in the second half of the year. These sectors are experiencing a reacceleration of earnings growth while trading at much lower valuations than the Magnificent Seven stocks ( MAGS ), ( MAGX ), ( QQQU ), making them attractive alternatives for investors seeking diversification. Murphy highlighted an important shift already underway in market dynamics, noting that the Magnificent Seven actually peaked in October and have been the worst-performing asset class year-to-date among maj...
Broadcaster says Radio 2 breakfast show host was sacked last week after ‘new information’ emerged about conduct Scott Mills was sacked after “new information” came to light relating to his conduct, the BBC said on Wednesday. The corporation confirmed in a statement that it was first made aware of a police investigation into historical allegations of sexual abuse in 2017, but had terminated the rad...
Broadcaster says Radio 2 breakfast show host was sacked last week after ‘new information’ emerged about conduct Scott Mills was sacked after “new information” came to light relating to his conduct, the BBC said on Wednesday. The corporation confirmed in a statement that it was first made aware of a police investigation into historical allegations of sexual abuse in 2017, but had terminated the radio presenter’s contract on Friday in accordance with its “culture and values”. Continue reading...
takasuu Wall Street closed a volatile first quarter with a sharp rebound on Tuesday, but the broader picture remained weak as all three major indexes posted losses for both March and Q1. The benchmark index S&P 500 ( SP500 ) fell -4.6% year-to-date, marking its weakest first-quarter performance since 2022, as geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices weighed heavily on risk assets. Within the...
takasuu Wall Street closed a volatile first quarter with a sharp rebound on Tuesday, but the broader picture remained weak as all three major indexes posted losses for both March and Q1. The benchmark index S&P 500 ( SP500 ) fell -4.6% year-to-date, marking its weakest first-quarter performance since 2022, as geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices weighed heavily on risk assets. Within the index, sector performance diverged sharply, with energy standing out as the clear winner while most sectors finished in the red. Strong gains for shares of oil and gas companies helped push the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLE ) +37%, driven by a spike in crude prices following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Materials also posted gains, with ( XLB ) up +10.2%, alongside utilities ( XLU ), +7.5%, and consumer staples ( XLP ), +5.5%, as investors rotated into defensive and commodity-linked plays. Seeking Alpha The weakest sectors were concentrated in growth- and rate-sensitive areas. Financials ( XLF ) fell -9.8%, the worst performer, amid concerns around private credit and lending risks. Consumer discretionary ( XLY ) declined -8.7%, while technology ( XLK ) dropped -7.7% and communication services ( XLC ) fell -5.8%, as Big Tech and AI-linked names sold off sharply during the quarter. In particular, the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF ( MAGS ) fell -12.2% in Q1, marking its worst quarterly performance since early 2025, as the AI “scare trade” triggered a sharp unwind in crowded Big Tech and growth positions. The ETF tracks heavyweights including Apple ( AAPL ) -6.6%, Microsoft ( MSFT ) -23.4%, Alphabet ( GOOGL ) ( GOOG ) -8.1%, Nvidia ( NVDA ) -6.5%, Amazon ( AMZN ) -9.7%, Tesla ( TSLA ) -17.3%, and Meta Platforms ( META ) -13.3%. The pullback reflected growing investor concerns around AI spending returns, stretched valuations, and positioning risk, which led to broad selling across software and mega-cap tech names during the quarter. Against this bac...
Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday, while air strikes battered Tehran even as US President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war and claimed that Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire. Iran had no immediate response to Trump’s claim on social media that “Iran’s New Regime President” was seeking a ceasefire, which Trump said would only...
Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday, while air strikes battered Tehran even as US President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war and claimed that Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire. Iran had no immediate response to Trump’s claim on social media that “Iran’s New Regime President” was seeking a ceasefire, which Trump said would only happen once the Strait of Hormuz was “open, free, clear”. It was not immediately clear who Trump...