Announcing fourth-quarter 2025 financial results on Monday, AST SpaceMobile (ASTS 4.60%) reported a stronger top line than analysts anticipated. Investors took note, and shares soared higher through the week, recovering from the 1.3% dip they suffered in the last week of trading in February. According to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, shares of AST SpaceMobile, which is developing a space-based cellular broadband network designed to work with everyday smartphones, rose 13% from the end of trading last Friday to the close of today's market session. Management expects 2026 to be out of this world In Q4 2025, AST SpaceMobile generated revenue of $54.3 million, beating analysts' expectations of $41.6 million. Expand NASDAQ : ASTS AST SpaceMobile Today's Change ( -4.60 %) $ -4.32 Current Price $ 89.54 Key Data Points Market Cap $26B Day's Range $ 89.53 - $ 100.31 52wk Range $ 18.22 - $ 129.89 Volume 506K Avg Vol 16M Gross Margin -14399.31 % Lauding AST SpaceMobile's performance in the recently completed quarter, Abel Avellan, the company's CEO, stated in the company's press release, "For the first time in 2025, AST SpaceMobile became a revenue generating business and it significantly advanced all key aspects of our operations including commercial, government, manufacturing, spectrum rights, IP portfolio, and capital position." With respect to the current year, AST SpaceMobile projects 2026 revenue of $150 million to $200 million." Should it achieve the midpoint of this guidance, it will represent year-over-year sales growth of about 147%. Another catalyst for the stock's rise came from Roth Capital analyst Scott Searle, who hiked the price target to $108 from $82.50, maintaining a buy rating. What should space investors with AST SpaceMobile stock on their radars look for moving forward? Management foresees substantial revenue growth in 2026 as the company expands its space-based network. But it's not only the top line of the income statement that invest...

Key Points AST SpaceMobile stock managed to march higher this week despite valuation pullbacks impacting speculative stocks. Investors seemed to be happy about one of AST's acquisition moves. AST has closed its $26 million all-stock acquisition of EllioSat. 10 stocks we like better than AST SpaceMobile › Despite bearish trading for the broader market, AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) stock managed to close out this week's trading with big gains. The company's share price rose 9% compared to where it stood at the end of the previous week's trading. Across the same stretch, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.7%. The stock market faced pressures this week as investors honed in on macroeconomic risk factors and the possibility that the market is generally richly valued at the moment. Even with these pressures, the anticipation that AST SpaceMobile would soon close a significant acquisition helped push the company's share price higher. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Acquisition anticipation helped push AST stock higher AST SpaceMobile stock saw big gains early in this week's trading. While there weren't any immediate developments or news catalysts tied to the positive valuation moves, investors were likely betting that AST was on track to close its acquisition of EllioSat from CCUR Holdings. AST then submitted an 8-K filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday, revealing that the deal had been completed. In exchange for ownership of EllioSat, AST SpaceMobile transferred $26 million worth of its common stock to CCUR as payment. What's next for AST SpaceMobile? With this week's gains, AST SpaceMobile stock is now up roughly 133% across 2025's trading. Meanwhile, the company is now valued at approximately 222 times this year's expected sales. AST SpaceMobile has been landing some substantial new deals and partnerships and expanding i...

Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. Corning (NYSE:GLW) agreed a multiyear fiber optic cable supply deal with Meta Platforms valued at up to US$6b through 2030. The agreement supports Meta's AI focused data center buildout and expands demand visibility for Corning's Optical Communications segment. Corning also introduced Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on Motorola's new razr fold device, targeting improved durability for foldable smartphones. For you as an investor, the link between Corning and Meta ties a long established materials company directly to the buildout of AI infrastructure. Corning already sells optical fiber and connectivity solutions into data networks, and this agreement increases the role of that business in a major customer roll out. At the same time, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 in a foldable device shows how Corning is still active in consumer electronics materials where design trends keep shifting. These two updates point to Corning participating in both AI driven network demand and changes in smartphone hardware design. As you look at NYSE:GLW, they illustrate how different parts of the company can be exposed to different technology cycles, from hyperscale data centers to premium handheld devices. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Corning by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Corning. NYSE:GLW Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Mar 2026 2 things going right for Corning that this headline doesn't cover. The Meta agreement and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 launch pull Corning in two important directions that both tie back to its core strengths. On the infrastructure side, a multiyear commitment of up to US$6b from a single hyperscale customer gives clearer demand visibility for the Optical Communications segment, where Corning is already seeing interest linked to AI data centers. That sort of c...

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 1.33% to 6,740.02, the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) slid 1.59% to 22,387.68, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) dropped 0.95% to 47,501.55 as a weak jobs report and surging oil reinforced risk-off sentiment. Market movers Energy stocks were rare gainers, with Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) up about 0.84% as crude reached $91, while growth names lagged; smaller-cap biotech Day One Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:DAWN) bucked the sell-off on a buyout deal with independent international pharmaceutical group Servier. What this means for investors The day started on a down note after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. payrolls shrank by 92,000 and unemployment rose 10 basis points to 4.4% in February. At the same time, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East pushed oil over $90. That combination has investors concerned that an environment of stagflation may be upon us. That helped drive energy stocks higher, but most other equities were in negative territory. Oil experienced its largest weekly increase since 2020 due to concerns over potential disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz. While this development boosts producers, it is negatively impacting nearly every other sector in the S&P 500 as investors reevaluate the duration of sustained inflation. On the positive side, acquisition news today pushed Day One Biopharmaceuticals stock 66% higher. The biotech company focused on creating and marketing targeted therapies for individuals with life-threatening illnesses will be taken over for $21.50 per share in cash, amounting to a total equity value of around $2.5 billion. Should you buy stock in S&P 500 Index right now? Before you buy stock in S&P 500 Index, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and S&P 500 Index wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the co...

Shares of Wix.com (WIX +1.15%) shot up 33% this week, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The website-building platform is getting a boost from steady revenue growth last quarter, a blistering acquisition, and its proposed aggressive share buyback program. Wix's stock has been hit by fears over artificial intelligence (AI) disruption, which haven't materialized in its financial performance thus far. Here's why Wix stock was soaring this week, and whether you should follow suit and add shares at these higher levels. Expand NASDAQ : WIX Wix.com Today's Change ( 1.15 %) $ 1.07 Current Price $ 94.01 Key Data Points Market Cap $5.1B Day's Range $ 90.94 - $ 94.73 52wk Range $ 60.22 - $ 191.24 Volume 151K Avg Vol 2M Gross Margin 68.07 % Strong earnings, huge share buyback Earlier in the week, Wix reported Q4 2025 earnings, delighting Wall Street with its financial performance. Revenue was up 14% year-over-year to $524 million, while its Base44 acquisition from last year has recently surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), up from virtually nothing a year ago. Free cash flow generation was solid, at $155 million in the period. For 2026, Wix is guiding for mid-teens revenue growth, which would likely mean an acceleration from 2025. This is due to Base44's financial performance and Wix's recent product launches, including vibe coding websites that leverage the latest AI tools, such as ChatGPT (with which Wix has a new partnership). This flies in the face of the narrative that sent Wix's stock price into a 66% drawdown over the last twelve months. To take advantage of this low share price, Wix has announced a $2 billion share repurchase program. Even with the stock popping this week, the company has a market cap of only $5 billion, suggesting it could retire a significant portion of its outstanding shares. Time to chase Wix stock? Wix's stock was beaten down before this week's pop, but it still looks cheap given the growth potential of its ...

Key Points Wix showed strong revenue growth last quarter despite a narrative around AI disruption. The company is projecting stronger growth in 2026 and plans to repurchase a large portion of its outstanding stock. Shares of Wix still look cheap, even after busting higher this week. 10 stocks we like better than Wix.com › Shares of Wix.com (NASDAQ: WIX) shot up 33% this week, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The website-building platform is getting a boost from steady revenue growth last quarter, a blistering acquisition, and its proposed aggressive share buyback program. Wix's stock has been hit by fears over artificial intelligence (AI) disruption, which haven't materialized in its financial performance thus far. Here's why Wix stock was soaring this week, and whether you should follow suit and add shares at these higher levels. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Strong earnings, huge share buyback Earlier in the week, Wix reported Q4 2025 earnings, delighting Wall Street with its financial performance. Revenue was up 14% year-over-year to $524 million, while its Base44 acquisition from last year has recently surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), up from virtually nothing a year ago. Free cash flow generation was solid, at $155 million in the period. For 2026, Wix is guiding for mid-teens revenue growth, which would likely mean an acceleration from 2025. This is due to Base44's financial performance and Wix's recent product launches, including vibe coding websites that leverage the latest AI tools, such as ChatGPT (with which Wix has a new partnership). This flies in the face of the narrative that sent Wix's stock price into a 66% drawdown over the last twelve months. To take advantage of this low share price, Wix has announced a $2 billion ...

Investing.com -- S&P Dow Jones Indices announced a sweeping overhaul of its benchmark tracking on Friday, propelling several technology and industrial firms into the prestigious S&P 500. Shares of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) surged 5.6% in after-hours trading following the news, while EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS) and Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:LITE) also saw significant gains. The quarterly reshuffle is designed to maintain the integrity of the market’s most-watched gauges. S&P DJI stated that "The changes ensure that each index is more representative of its market‑capitalization range" across the large, mid, and small-cap tiers. Vertiv, Lumentum, Coherent Inc (NYSE:COHR), and EchoStar will officially join the S&P 500 prior to the opening of trading on Monday, March 23. To make room for these additions, the index will remove Match Group Inc (NASDAQ:MTCH), Molina Healthcare Inc (NYSE:MOH), Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (NYSE:LW), and Paycom (NYSE:PAYC). Higher up the ladder, the S&P 100 will see a notable influx of semiconductor and industrial heavyweights, including Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) and GE Vernova LLC (NYSE:GEV). These moves come at the expense of veteran financial firms like PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) and American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG), which are exiting the blue-chip 100-member club. Investors expect these adjustments to trigger billions in passive fund flows as institutional managers realign their portfolios with the new benchmarks. The effective dates are spread across the next two weeks, beginning with the SmallCap 600 adjustment on March 13. Related articles Vertiv and EchoStar lead tech surge in S&P 500 rebalance Nvidia's new Alpamayo project: What it means for Tesla? Morgan Stanley CIO survey: Why AI hype isn’t boosting 2026 IT budgets

It’s the Super Bowl of index rebalancing tonight! The biggest news was the S&P 500 adding Vertiv (VRT), Lumentum (LITE), Coherent (COHR), and EchoStar (SATS). However, S&P Dow Jones Indices also rebalanced other indexes like the S&P 100 and S&P MidCap 400. Four stocks were added to the S&P 100 on the evening of March ... MU, LRCX, AMAT, GEV All Added to the S&P 100 As AI Stocks Gain Influence

MU, LRCX, AMAT, GEV All Added to the S&P 100 As AI Stocks Gain Influence 24/7 Wall St.

媒体报道，甲骨文公司和OpenAI已经放弃了在德克萨斯州扩建一座旗舰人工智能数据中心的计划，因为双方在融资问题以及OpenAI不断变化的需求上谈判拖延过久。 据知情人士向媒体透露，谈判破裂为Meta介入创造了机会。 Meta正在考虑从开发商Crusoe手中租赁位于德克萨斯州阿比林（Abilene）的扩建项目用地。知情人士对媒体表示， AI芯片龙头英伟达公司帮助促成了Meta与该开发商之间的讨论。 分析认为，这一计划变化凸显出建设AI数据中心的复杂性。这类项目预计需要数百亿美元的投资，并且需要多个合作伙伴之间的协调。 Crusoe在阿比林开发的数据中心园区是备受关注的“Stargate”项目的一部分。该项目去年在白宫由总统特朗普宣布。知情人士对表示，目前这片占地1000英亩的园区仍在建设中，其中部分设施已经投入运行，但甲骨文和OpenAI最终决定不再推进此前计划租赁的大规模扩建项目。 甲骨文和OpenAI在Stargate项目中使用的是英伟达芯片。知情人士对媒体表示， 在Crusoe寻找新租户之际，英伟达介入，以确保扩建后的数据中心仍将使用其芯片产品，而不是竞争对手AMD的产品。 据称，英伟达已向Crusoe支付了1.5亿美元的定金，并开始帮助吸引Meta成为该扩建项目的租户。 去年7月，甲骨文同意为OpenAI开发4.5吉瓦的数据中心容量。该协议仍在按计划推进，双方还宣布了多个其他地点的项目，例如底特律附近一个由Related Digital拥有的设施。 甲骨文股价周五在纽约收盘时回吐早前涨幅，收盘下跌1.11%，报152.96美元。与AI基础设施建设相关的其他公司普遍下跌，CoreWeave跌2.45%、AMD跌3.52%，英伟达跌2.98%。 谈判时间过长，融资、需求频繁变化导致合作破裂 训练和部署AI模型所需的巨大算力需求，推动了规模空前的数据中心建设热潮。甲骨文已经调整业务战略，专注于为OpenAI和马斯克的xAI等客户提供数据中心算力。Meta也在为其产品大举投资AI基础设施，并预计仅2026年的资本支出就可能高达1350亿美元。英伟达则是AI计算芯片的主要供应商。 Crusoe在阿比林拥有的数据中心是目前最受关注的数据中心项目之一。甲骨文正在迅速向该园区的建筑中部署服务器，这些服务器由OpenAI用于训练和运行其AI产品。自2025年年中以来，甲骨文、C...

Is Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) a bargain or a value trap as it battles Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) for GLP‑1 leadership, execution credibility, and premium growth? Watch the video below to see how investors might navigate this high‑stakes rivalry. *This video was published on Feb. 24, 2026. Continue reading

In this podcast, Motley Fool contributors Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss: Nvidia 's earnings. 's earnings. The evolving landscape for CPUs and GPUs. The bull vs. bear look at MercadoLibre 's earnings. 's earnings. The Trade Desk's quarterly results. To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. When you're ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy. A full transcript is below. This podcast was recorded on Feb. 26, 2026. Tyler Crowe: Come on. You knew we were going to talk about NVIDIA earnings. This is Motley Fool Money. Welcome to Motley Fool Money. I'm Tyler Crowe, and today I'm joined by longtime Fool contributors Matt Frankel and Jon Quast. Earnings are still the topic of the week, and some investor favorites are certainly reporting. We're going to get into the results of the Trade Desk, and I'm going to pester Jon and Matt about Mercado Libre's most recent quarter. But first, it would be hard to be taken seriously as an investing podcast and not discuss NVIDIA's earnings right at the top. We're going to get right into it here. Shares of NVIDIA are down about 4% as we tape today after the company reported fourth quarter and full year 2025 results. It's been a minute since we've seen NVIDIA report earnings that didn't blow analysts and investors away. It looks like based on the stock market reaction, that was the case today. Because apparently, 73% year over year growth for revenue doesn't wow anyone anymore, Jon? Jon Quast: It wows this guy. Here's what wowed me. Somehow, NVIDIA's growth is still accelerating. You pointed to the 73% revenue growth in its most recent quarter. That's insane as it is. But next quarter, it expects around 77% growth. Let's just put these numbers into a little bit of more tangible, contextualized perspective here. NVIDIA for the year, it just reported 216 billion in revenue. It added 85 billion in revenue compared to the previous year. There are compani...

Source: Bloomberg, 0:00

PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction The Dividend Champions list is a monthly compilation of companies which have consistently increased their annual dividend payouts. However, since this list is only produced once per month, the data in it can quickly get out of date. Furthermore, with around 700 companies on the list, the sheer amount of data can quickly become overwhelming. In this weekly series, I highlight recent and upcoming dividend related activity for dividend stocks on the Dividend Champions list. In the data presented below, Yield is forward annualized and Years reflects the up-to-date streak, including dividends declared since the last edition of the Dividend Champions list. Dividend Changes In the past week, the following companies declared dividends which changed from their previous payouts. Increases: Company Symbol Ex-Div Pay Old Rate New Rate Increase Yield Years Horace Mann Educators Corporation ( HMN ) 3/17 3/31 0.35 0.36 2.86% 3.32% 17 Korn Ferry ( KFY ) 3/27 4/15 0.48 0.55 14.58% 3.46% 6 RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. ( RICK ) 3/16 3/31 0.07 0.08 14.29% 1.39% 8 Ross Stores, Inc. ( ROST ) 3/13 3/31 0.405 0.445 9.88% 0.84% 6 Waste Management, Inc. ( WM ) 3/13 3/27 0.825 0.945 14.55% 1.54% 23 Click to enlarge Decreases: None Last Chance to Buy These dividend growth stocks have ex-dividend dates approaching. The following tables indicate the last day you can buy these stocks in order to be eligible for the upcoming dividend. Tables are sorted alphabetically by symbol. Monday Mar 9 (Ex-Div 3/10) Company Symbol Pay Date Payout Price Yield Years Ameren Corporation ( AEE ) 3/31 0.75 111.52 2.69% 13 Becton, Dickinson and Company ( BDX ) 3/31 1.05 167.12 2.51% 54 CME Group Inc. ( CME ) 3/26 1.3 317.10 1.64% 16 Canadian National Railway Company ( CNI ) 3/31 0.915 CAD 106.78 2.54% 31 CNO Financial Group, Inc. ( CNO ) 3/24 0.17 41.54 1.64% 14 CRA International, Inc. ( CRAI ) 3/20 0.57 177.47 1.28% 10 Elevance Health Inc. ( ELV ) 3/25 1.72 28...

据美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）6日报道，自美国和以色列2月28日对伊朗发动大规模袭击以来，该媒体根据卫星图像确认中东多国已有5处部署雷达系统的地点受到伊朗方面袭击。CNN在报道中公布了多张卫星照片。照片显示，遭袭的雷达系统分别部署在沙特、约旦、卡塔尔，以及阿联酋的两处地点。（新华社）

中興通訊去年少賺三成三。 有純利約56億元人民幣，派末期息每股41.1分人民幣。期內收入則增加一成，至1,338億元人民幣。

Oracle (ORCL) and OpenAI Halt Expansion Plans for AI Data Center in Texas GuruFocus

美國就業數據疲弱，增加美國聯邦儲備局減息機會，金價上升。 紐約期金收市報5,158.7美元一盎司，升80美元，升幅百分之1.5。 現貨金價一度升超過92美元，至5,174美元以上，升幅近百分之2。但因中東戰事推高美元匯價，以致全周計，以美元計價的黃金，跌超過百分之2，是近五周以來首周下跌。而今年以來，金價仍然錄得超過一成八升幅。

Source: Bloomberg, 5:09

Source: Bloomberg, 0:00

At the longtime civil rights activist’s memorial celebration on Friday, the Rev Jesse Jackson was remembered as a “champion” for the “poor and the dispossessed” – as well as “one of the most effective community and political organizers of our time”. Such tributes came from past Democratic US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, along with former vice-president Kamala Harris, who received cheers and applause while they joined thousands of others in a Chicago church for a celebration of life for Jackson. Outside the church on Chicago’s South Side, crowds formed long lines as TV screens showed highlights from some of the best-known speeches delivered by Jackson, who spent more than half a century in public life and mounted a strong campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988. Vendors on site offered hoodies with his slogan “I am somebody.” Obama was met with a standing ovation upon taking the stage to eulogize Jackson, whom he compared to the prophet Isaiah in his remarks. Jackson, Obama remarked, was “a man who, when the poor and the dispossessed needed a champion and the country needed healing, stepped forward again and again and again and said: ‘send me’”. Obama added that Jackson’s first presidential campaign inspired him and drew him to Chicago, the city both men called home. “In his ideas and his platform, in his analysis, in his intelligence, in his insight, Jesse hadn’t just held his own,” Obama said. “He had owned that stage.” View image in fullscreen Barack Obama speaks during funeral service for Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday. Photograph: Victor Hilitski/EPA Two decades after Jackson’s second presidential campaign, Obama became the first Black US president. He credited Jackson with helping make that milestone achievable. Jackson “wasn’t an intruder – he wasn’t a pretender”, Obama said. “He belonged on that stage. And the message he sent, to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a funny...

據報甲骨文及OpenAI終止在美國得州，擴建旗艦數據中心的計劃。 《彭博》報道，由於融資問題以及OpenAI改變需求，兩公司已終止在得州興建人工智能數據中心的計劃，有關數據中心原定將採用由輝達生產的晶片。 報道指輝達已介入，引進Facebook母公司Meta租用有關空出的土地用作興建數據中心，目的是保障公司的晶片仍獲採用。

1、核心指标： 就业人数意外“跳水” 。 美国2月非农就业人数意外减少9.2万，创2020年新冠疫情以来（剔除2025年10月政府裁员干扰后）最严重的跌幅，前两个月的数据被合计下修6.9万；失业率升至4.4%。 2、行业透视： 制造业与医疗业领跌 。 制造业就业人数继续萎缩，跌至2022年初以来最低。医疗保健行业因Kaiser Permanente罢工导致岗位减少2.8万（仅医生办公室就流失3.7万岗位）。此前受特朗普政府提倡的“资本开支繁荣”推动的建筑业，在2月也意外减少1.1万个岗位。 3、宏观背景： 战争、天气与罢工的“三重打击” 。 报告指出，伊朗战争带来的高度不确定性使企业推迟了招聘决策。此外，2 月份全美范围内的严寒风暴影响了约22.8万人的工作。尽管人工智能（AI）话题火热，但报告显示目前对就业影响最大的仍是罢工和气候等“传统风险”。 4、市场矛盾： 薪资增长与滞胀幽灵 。 尽管就业人数暴跌，但2月平均时薪环比增长0.4%。这种“就业萎缩、薪资上涨”的组合，配合布伦特原油和WTI原油先后突破90美元整数位心理关口，引发华尔街对滞胀（Stagflation）的集体焦虑。 5、政策影响： 美联储陷入“两难境地” 。 就业市场的脆弱性本应支持降息，但能源价格上涨带来的通胀风险令美联储投鼠忌器。目前利率期货已将首次降息的预期推迟到9月份，理事沃勒等美联储官员开始公开讨论劳动力市场的“脆弱性”。 6、社会结构： 除了白人群体外，2 月份所有群体的处境都在恶化 。 2 月份数据显示，白人失业率维持在3.7%，但亚裔失业率从4.2%跳升至4.8%，非洲裔也升至7.7%。

Investors over the past year have learned that Donald Trump has a boundless capacity to quickly reverse course in the face of acute political or market pressures. But a week since the United States and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran, there are fears the war could morph into a protracted conflict. In purely economic terms, the war has brought about what has long been considered a worst-case scenario from a conflict in the Middle East: the closure of the strait of Hormuz, through which travels a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Since the start of the hostilities, the global benchmark oil price has jumped by 17% to more than US$85 a barrel, triggering shock waves through financial markets. The Australian sharemarket has been relatively shielded from the worst of the fallout, but still suffered a steep 3.8% loss for the week. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Asian markets, many based in countries heavily reliant on imported energy, were battered. In South Korea, the stock market collapsed by 13% in a single session to record its worst day in history. But on Wall Street, the S&P 500 index had lost less than 1% leading into its final session on Friday night. Just another shock As the Trump administration on Friday mulled using America’s strategic oil reserve to take some of the pressure off prices, Shane Oliver, the chief economist at AMP, said he was worried that “markets are a little bit complacent”. “The mildness of the response has surprised me,” Oliver said. “And that partly reflects the experience of the past year or so with Trump, where there have been numerous shocks – especially around American tariff announcements – and then we get some sort of backdown. “Markets are assuming there will be some sort of backdown and this won’t be a long, drawn-out war.” The essential challenge for investors is that it’s not clear why Trump decided to launch the war, and therefore what it will take to end it. That has left markets in a holding pattern: priced for...