Straight

• The S&P 500 fell 2% for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, the first such streak since 2022, amid Mideast conflict de-escalation hopes. • Brent crude rose to $112 per barrel, with U.S. 10-year yields climbing to 4.43% on inflation fears from sustained high energy prices. • BlackRock warns elevated oil could shift focus from rate cuts to whether central bank policies can match rising inflation.

• Top-seeded UCLA defeated second-seeded Iowa 96-45 to capture its second consecutive Big Ten Conference Tournament championship, marking the first time in program history the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament titles. • The 51-point margin of victory set a new Big Ten Tournament Final record, surpassing Iowa's previous record of a 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. • UCLA finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 conference record and undefeated home court record for the first time since 2016-17, becoming just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play.

• U.S. stocks deepened losses on Friday, with the S&P 500 falling 1.7% or 108.31 points to close at 6,368.85, marking its fifth straight losing week—the longest streak in nearly four years. • The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 793.47 points or 1.7% to 45,166.64, now more than 10% below its recent record, while the Nasdaq composite sank 459.72 points or 2.1% to 20,948.36. • Big Tech weighed heavily on the market, including drops of 3.1% for Amazon and 3.5% for Meta Platforms, amid ongoing volatility from geopolitical tensions.

• US equity markets including S&P 500 fell 1.9% last week, breaching the 200-day moving average for the first time since May 2025 amid geopolitical tensions and inflation pressures. • Nasdaq 100 dropped 2.0% and Dow Jones 2.1%, with VIX near 27 and CNN Fear and Greed Index at 15 signaling high investor anxiety. • Persistent inflation data and fading AI optimism drove declines, positioning US Tech 100 below key moving averages with risks of further drops to 23,000.

• The S&P 500 fell 1.51% to close at 6,506.48, the Nasdaq dropped 2.01% to 21,647.61, and the Dow declined 0.96% to 45,577.47 on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive weekly loss. • Iran conflict pushed oil prices higher, intensifying inflation expectations and prompting investors to reassess Federal Reserve rate-cut bets; rate futures now suggest potential rate increases rather than cuts by 2026. • Major tech stocks suffered significant losses, with Nvidia and Tesla falling over 3%, while Super Micro Computer plunged 33% following smuggling charge reports linked to AI technology exports.

Markets seem particularly attuned to increasing oil prices, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down 1.5% and 2% respectivelyUS stock markets dropped again on Friday, capping off a fourth week of market turbulence as investors worried about the US-Israel war on Iran and its widespread impact on global oil prices.The Dow lost over 400 points on Friday, with the S&P 500 slipping 1.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 2%. Continue reading...

• Portland Trail Blazers beat the Indiana Pacers 127-119 in NBA action on March 18, 2026, extending Indiana's losing streak to 15 consecutive games. • Ivica Zubac led the Pacers with 18 points in the loss, as the team prepares for a two-game road trip starting Saturday in San Antonio. • This defeat highlights Indiana's ongoing struggles late in the season, impacting their playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

Energy minister says it will take ‘some time’ for extra supply to reach regional areas. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe energy minister, Chris Bowen, says it will take “some time” for the petrol and disesel released from Australia’s domestic stockpile to reach areas hit by shortages.On Friday, the Albanese government directed fuel companies to release nearly a fifth of reserve petrol and diesel supplies. Dozens of service stations across the country have run out of petrol as retailers struggle with customers panic-buying in response to skyrocketing prices from the Middle East conflict.There will be some time for it to flow through. There’s a very complicated supply chain.But it is going to have an impact. Some companies have said it will start to have an impact in coming days, to some degree. But there will be some time before it’s all released. Continue reading...

• The S&P 500 declined 1.6% last week, marking its third consecutive weekly drop, with the Dow falling 2% and Nasdaq shedding 1.3% due to soaring oil prices and broad market selling. • Surging oil prices from geopolitical tensions, including US-Iran escalation, drove the downturn, as investors brace for NVIDIA GTC AI event and FOMC rate decision this week (March 16-20, 2026). • Markets now price only a 33% chance of a June rate cut, down from 57% last month, amid persistent inflation data; Thursday's jobless claims will gauge labor market health.

• The S&P 500 declined 1.6% for its third consecutive weekly loss, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2% and the NASDAQ shed 1.3% as geopolitical tensions and surging oil prices created broad selling pressure across all major indices. • Investors face a critical week ahead with the NVIDIA GTC conference (the "AI Oscars") scheduled alongside the Federal Reserve's FOMC interest rate decision on Wednesday and jobless claims data on Thursday. • Persistent inflation has dramatically shifted market expectations, with traders pricing in just a 33% probability of a June rate cut compared to 57% one month ago, reflecting heightened uncertainty about the Fed's monetary policy path.

• The S&P 500 fell 1.6% last week to 6,632.19, now down 5% from its January 27 high of 6,978.60 and 3.1% year-to-date, hit by broad selling across indices including Dow -2% and Nasdaq -1.3%. • Geopolitical tensions from US-Iran escalation drove oil higher, with markets pricing in prolonged uncertainty as the conflict enters its third week. • Core PCE price index rose 0.36% month-over-month, with annualized three-month trend at 3.7%, signaling persistent inflation pressuring Fed rate cut expectations.