Iran Confirms Larijani's Death; AI to Generate $12 Trillion in Revenue; Micron Stock Hits Record High; Tencent Earnings Report Today.

Trump Considers U.S. NATO Exit, Iran Escalates Attacks

On March 17, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he could decide to withdraw from NATO without congressional approval, expressing dissatisfaction with the current situation. He mentioned that the U.S. is not yet ready to end its conflict with Iran but will "leave in the near future."

Middle East Tensions Rise

• The U.S. has extended the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Ford in the Middle East until May.
• Iran has reportedly designated several replacements for key national positions following the death of Larijani.
• Iran's military actions have intensified, targeting U.S. bases in Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and Iraq.

Oil Prices Surge

Amid ongoing conflicts, international oil prices remain high, with Brent crude futures at $103.05 per barrel and WTI crude futures at $94.78 per barrel.

Fed's Interest Rate Decisions Amid Middle East Crisis

Nick Timiraos from the "New Fed Communications" highlighted that the escalating Middle East situation reinforces the consensus for the Fed to maintain its current stance. Key signals to watch include policy statements, dot plot forecasts, and Powell's press conference.

EU-U.S. Trade Agreement Progress

The EU has restarted the approval process for a long-stalled trade agreement with the U.S., which could ease transatlantic trade tensions.

SEC and CFTC Issue New Cryptocurrency Guidelines

On March 18, the SEC and CFTC released a 68-page guideline stating that most digital assets do not qualify as securities. This includes clarifications on stablecoins and digital commodities.

AI's Impact on Productivity and Revenue

Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Investment Management, stated that AI is significantly boosting productivity, predicting it could generate $10 to $12 trillion in revenue over the next decade.

OpenAI Partners with AWS for Government AI Services

OpenAI has signed an agreement with Amazon Web Services to provide AI services to U.S. government employees, expanding its market reach.

U.S. Stock Market Performance

On March 17, U.S. stocks closed higher, with the Dow Jones up 0.1%, S&P 500 up 0.25%, and Nasdaq up 0.47%. Notable stock movements included:

• Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Huang Renxun expressed confidence in exceeding $1 trillion in revenue next year.
• Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook denied retirement rumors.
• Meta (META) announced that Quest headset users will no longer access Horizon Worlds.

Notable IPOs and Acquisitions

• Swarmer's IPO surged 520%, marking one of the best performances in five years.
• IBM completed a $11 billion acquisition of Confluent, enhancing its data platform capabilities.

Qualcomm Announces Stock Buyback

Qualcomm (QCOM) approved a $20 billion stock buyback plan and increased its dividend.

Market Outlook

Investors are closely watching upcoming earnings reports from major companies, including Tencent (00700), Micron (MU), and Macy's (M).