📉 TL;DR – The Week in 60 Seconds
Oil did the market a favor last week: it reminded everyone who’s really in charge. A fast jump in crude tied to the Iran war hit inflation worries just as February’s Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP)* printed a surprise drop. Stocks slid, with small caps taking the biggest hit as “growth slowdown + higher prices” fears crept back in, capping the market’s worst weekly slide since mid-October.
The U.S. dollar strengthened, while gold and silver logged their first weekly dip in weeks. This week’s mood depends on energy headlines, the next inflation read, and whether Fed cuts get pushed out again.
Quick Levels → Last week’s change
S&P 500: 6,740.01 | ↓2.02% Nasdaq 100: 24,643.01 | ↓1.27% Dow: 47,501.56 | ↓3.01% Russell 2000: 2,525.30 | ↓4.07% | Gold/oz: $5,115 | ↓2.03% Silver/oz: $84.08 | ↓9.97% Bitcoin: $67,852 | ↑0.31% U.S. Dollar Index: 98.85 | ↑1.24% |
🚀 Top Movers Last Week
Source: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Venture Global (VG) ↑28.79% — Court win vs Shell and new LNG contracts eased lawsuit overhang materially.
Circle Internet Group (CRCL) ↑22.14% — USD Coin (USDC) reserve interest story plus war-driven inflation fears boosted revenue outlook.
Palantir (PLTR) ↑14.56% — War headlines boosted defense tech; a GE Aerospace deal kept momentum rolling.
Lumentum (LITE) ↓20.33% — AI-optics winner reversed hard; traders took profits after Nvidia deal hype and insider-selling headlines. Lumentum is 1 of 4 companies joining the S&P 500 index soon.
United Airlines (UAL) ↓13.39% — CEO flagged a 58% jet fuel jump from Iran conflict, squeezing near-term profit expectations.
BlackRock (BLK) ↓10.14% — Shares sank after BlackRock capped private-credit fund withdrawals, raising liquidity worries and piling onto a broad selloff.