Weekend Amid

• Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival opened April 5 in Indio, California, with Travis Scott headlining main stage to 125,000 attendees on Day 1. • Lineup includes Olivia Rodrigo, Post Malone; surprise guest appearances by Drake and Ice Spice boosted social media buzz to 50 million mentions. • Event generates $150 million economic impact for Riverside County, drawing criticism over high $600+ ticket prices.

Institutional investors and hedge funds executed defensive portfolio adjustments on Friday, March 13, 2026, reducing exposure ahead of the weekend due to escalating geopolitical risks in the Persian Gulf region and growing stress in the global private credit market. The Nasdaq declined 1.78% to 22,111 and the Dow dropped 1.56% to 46,777 as surging oil prices and Iran-related fears triggered broad risk-off sentiment across markets. Market observers noted that sophisticated investors remained in defensive positions pending clarity on the Strait of Hormuz, with key monitoring points including tanker traffic, Sunday night oil futures, and potential ceasefire negotiations. The S&P 500 has fallen approximately 3% for the month of March, placing the index in negative territory for the year.

On March 13, 2026, institutional investors, hedge funds, and traders quietly cut risk positions before US markets closed for the weekend, amid escalating Persian Gulf conflict and Strait of Hormuz uncertainties. This defensive shift reflects pressures from geopolitical risks, hedge fund losses, and stress in global private credit markets, unrelated to recession or earnings. Key weekend indicators include tanker traffic, Sunday oil futures, US naval moves, and ceasefire talks, with S&P 500 futures reaction signaling Monday's open. Smart money remains cautious until Hormuz clarity emerges.