Weekly Market Recap | Mar 23 – Mar 29

Analyst Highlights

Global markets repriced risk as geopolitical escalation drove a broad selloff across equities (-1.6% to -4.5%) and crypto (-7% to -11%), with volatility rising sharply
Energy markets led the macro shift, with Brent and WTI gaining over 12% amid supply disruption fears tied to Middle East conflict
Inflation risks re-emerged globally, with Eurozone inflation accelerating and central banks signaling potential tightening amid energy-driven price pressures
Safe-haven positioning intensified, supporting the US dollar and global bond demand, reflecting rising slowdown and recession concerns
AI investment cycle accelerated significantly, highlighted by $10B+ data center builds and $40B financing activity, alongside expanding semiconductor supply chains
Capital deployment is increasingly concentrated in AI infrastructure and robotics, signaling early-stage positioning for the next phase of technological scaling

Future Money Acquisition Corp., a blank-check company targeting a future business combination, priced its $100M IPO at $10 per unit on Nasdaq, with trading beginning March 27 under FMACU.
Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI, a blank-check company formed to pursue a merger or similar business combination, priced its $220 million IPO at $10 per unit on Nasdaq.
QDRO Acquisition Corp., a blank-check company targeting financial services, digital currency, and technology businesses, priced its $200 million IPO at $10 per unit on Nasdaq.

S&P 500 closed at 6,368.85, down 108.31 points (-1.67%) for the week.
Russell 1000 closed at 3,478.17, down 113.57 points (-3.16%) for the week.
Russell 2000 closed at 2,449.70, down 44.53 points (-1.78%) for the week.
Russell 3000 closed at 3,627.29, down 115.99 points (-3.10%) for the week.
CBOE VIX closed at 31.05, up 4.90 points (+18.74%) for the week.
Dow Jones closed at 45,166.64, down 1,041.83 points (-2.25%) for the week.
NASDAQ closed at 20,948.36, down 998.40 points (-4.55%) for the week.
Bitcoin closed at $65,954.92, down $4,959.94 (-7.00%) for the week.
Ethereum closed at $1,982.56, down $169.59 (-7.88%) for the week.
Solana closed at $81.42, down $10.00 (-10.94%) for the week.
XRP closed at $1.3273, down $0.1046 (-7.31%) for the week.
Gold closed at $4,492.00, up $87.90 (+2.00%) for the week.
Silver closed at $69.54, up $0.49 (+0.71%) for the week.
WTI Crude closed at $99.64, up $11.51 (+13.06%) for the week.
Brent Crude closed at $112.57, up $12.63 (+12.64%) for the week.

Oil jumped above $116 a barrel as the Iran war escalated, intensifying inflation fears and pressuring equities, bonds, and industrial metals.
Government bonds rallied globally as Middle East tensions increased slowdown fears, driving investors toward safe-haven debt and pushing yields lower.
Saudi oil pricing came under strain as buyers sought alternatives and May crude premiums surged during the Iran war.
Iran’s strikes on Gulf aluminum plants threatened supply, increasing risks of record aluminum prices and deeper pressure on manufacturers.
War-driven gas shortages pushed major consumers back to coal, signaling a sharp shift in energy demand across Europe and Asia.
Euro-zone inflation saw its biggest jump since 2022, as Middle East war-driven energy costs increased pressure on consumers and the ECB.
ECB’s Wunsch signaled a possible rate hike if the Iran war persists, as energy costs threaten broader inflation in Europe.
The dollar posted its strongest monthly gain since late 2024, supported by haven flows and reduced expectations for Fed rate cuts.
Japan warned of possible FX intervention as oil-driven volatility pressured the yen, helping the currency recover modestly against the dollar.
MetaX sales more than doubled on China’s AI chip demand, highlighting domestic players gaining share as Nvidia faces market restrictions.

Strait of Hormuz disruption deepens into a global oil shock, with shortages spreading from Asia toward Europe, raising recession risks.
Trump said Iran accepted most US demands while signaling possible seizure of Iranian oil assets, raising risks of further military escalation.
Houthis entered the Iran war with missile strikes on Israel, opening a new front and raising risks to global oil supply and regional stability.
EU’s top diplomat accused Russia of helping Iran target Americans and allies, widening the conflict’s geopolitical and security implications.
Russia will ban gasoline exports from April 1 to stabilize domestic supply, tightening global fuel markets amid the ongoing energy crisis.
UK urged G7 to boost energy supply amid war-driven oil surge, as leaders warned of prolonged energy shock and supply disruptions.
China launched trade probes into US practices ahead of the Xi-Trump summit, signaling renewed tensions over supply chains and green trade.
Xi invited Taiwan’s opposition leader to China ahead of the Trump summit, signaling strategic positioning on cross-strait and US–China relations.
Iran’s strikes on Gulf aluminum plants threatened supply, increasing risks of record aluminum prices and deeper pressure on manufacturers.

Meta raised its El Paso data center investment to over $10 billion, underscoring the scale and urgency of AI infrastructure buildout.
SoftBank secured a record $40 billion bridge loan for its OpenAI stake, signaling aggressive capital deployment to deepen its position in AI.
Microsoft leased a 900-megawatt Texas data center once tied to Oracle and OpenAI, intensifying competition for AI infrastructure capacity.
JX Metals plans increased investment in chip materials as semiconductor demand surges, strengthening global supply chains for AI and electronics.
Physical Intelligence is in talks to raise $1 billion at an $11 billion valuation, highlighting rising investor conviction in AI robotics.

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