IEA Agrees to Release 400 Million Barrels of Oil Reserves
Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.HORMUZ MINES:President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social, "If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY! If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!"This comes as Jennifer Jacobs of CBS Newsvia X: "U.S. intelligence assets have begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Iran is using smaller crafts that can carry 2 to 3 mines each. While Iran's mine stock isn't publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines of Iranian, Chinese and Russian-made variants".RECORD RELEASE OF OIL RESERVES:IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol announced that the 32 Member countries of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed today to make 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves available to the market to address disruptions in oil markets stemming from the war in the Middle East. "The decision to take emergency collective action was made following an extraordinary meeting of IEA Member governments yesterday, convened by the IEA Executive Director to assess market conditions amid the conflict in the Middle East and consider the options to address supply disruptions," the organization.The release tops the 182 million barrel release that IEA member countries conducted in 2022 when Russia attacked Ukraine.AIR FORCE CONTRACT:Leidoswill modernize the U.S. Air Force's Cloud One platform to accelerate the secure deployment of cloud capabilities. This program is designed to create a vehicle for modernization that can be deployed across the Department of War to help safeguard mission-critical systems and data and drive broader, faster adoption of cloud capabilities across the Air Force. Under the $454.9M contract, Leidos will work with AmazonWeb Services, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to transform the Air Force's multi-cloud environment. The improvements are designed to boost security, increase automation and simplify day-to-day operations, all while helping reduce costs and enabling Air Force teams to manage cloud operations faster and with greater confidence, making it easier for more units to adopt and scale cloud services. This effort aligns fully with Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy and its focus on leading large-scale technology and cybersecurity innovation and modernization for the federal government.
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- Significant Contract Value: Leidos Holdings, Inc. announced a $454.9 million contract to modernize the US Air Force's Cloud One platform, aiming to enhance security and automation while simplifying daily operations to enable faster deployment of mission-critical tasks.
- Multi-Cloud Transformation: The project will collaborate with Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to transform the Air Force's multi-cloud environment, ensuring a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving security landscape.
- Strategic Partnership: On March 10, Leidos entered into a strategic partnership with Dropzone AI to leverage agentic artificial intelligence for faster responses to cyber threats, reducing training requirements and allowing personnel to focus on more complex threats.
- Clear Market Positioning: Leidos focuses on providing scientific, engineering, and enterprise IT solutions to US federal agencies, particularly in defense, intelligence, and cybersecurity, showcasing its strong competitive edge in technological innovation and market demand.
- Cost-Effectiveness Demand: Defense Secretary's warning against using $2 million missiles to shoot down $20,000 drones highlights the urgent need for defense tech companies to accelerate the development of low-cost drones to meet modern warfare demands.
- Market Opportunities: The U.S. Department of Defense consumed $5.6 billion in munitions within two days of the Iran war outbreak, indicating a pressing need for new drone and counter-drone technologies, which is rapidly boosting valuations and market shares of related startups.
- Accelerated Technological Innovation: The U.S. has introduced the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), priced at approximately $35,000, which is becoming a key technology in countering Iranian drone threats and is expected to attract more defense budget allocations.
- Intensified Industry Competition: Although spending in the defense tech sector accounted for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, startups like Anduril and Palantir have secured multi-billion dollar contracts, reflecting strong market demand for high-tech solutions.
- Drone Technology Deployment: The U.S. has deployed the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) in the Iran war, costing approximately $35,000 per unit, marking one of the few new systems emerging and highlighting the urgent demand for low-cost technology that could reshape future combat strategies.
- Surge in Demand: Defense tech startups report skyrocketing demand since the U.S. first struck Iran, with many customers willing to buy out capacity or request ramped-up production, reflecting a strong appetite for innovative technologies in modern warfare.
- Budgetary Challenges: Despite defense tech accounting for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, the Trump administration's plan to raise military budgets to $1.5 trillion by 2027 could provide new opportunities for startups in the sector.
- Production Capacity Dilemma: Many defense tech firms face a dilemma over whether to scale production to meet clear demand signals without stable contracts, as the uncertainty surrounding government contracts complicates their expansion strategies.
- Attack Pause Extended: President Trump has extended the pause on potential U.S. attacks on Iranian energy facilities until April 6, warning Iranian negotiators to take negotiations seriously soon, as failure to do so could have dire consequences, which may impact market confidence in the region.
- Oil Price Fluctuations: Oil prices fell in early trading on Friday, with Brent and WTI on track for their steepest weekly drop in six months due to market skepticism about the peace talks, potentially affecting the stock performance of energy-related companies.
- Troop Deployment: The U.S. is preparing to send approximately 3,000 troops to the Middle East, raising speculation about a possible ground attack on Iran, which could escalate regional tensions and influence global market sentiment.
- Legal Developments: A federal judge in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction to Anthropic against the Trump administration, ruling that the government's blacklisting of the company may constitute illegal retaliation under the First Amendment, which could affect the relationship between the tech industry and the government.
- Oversold Indicator: Leidos Holdings (Ticker: LDOS) hit an RSI of 29.96 during Wednesday's trading, indicating an oversold condition that suggests recent heavy selling may be exhausting, thus presenting potential buying opportunities for investors.
- Price Fluctuation: The stock reached a low of $156.82 per share, with the current trading price at $158.88, showing a significant recovery from the 52-week low of $128.32, indicating growing market confidence in its future performance.
- Market Comparison: Compared to the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) with an RSI of 38.3, LDOS's oversold status may attract bullish investors looking for entry points to capitalize on potential rebounds in the stock price.
- Historical Performance: With a 52-week high of $205.77, LDOS's current price remains below this level, suggesting that as the market recovers, the stock could rebound towards its high, enhancing investor confidence in long-term holdings.
- Congressional Stalemate: The ongoing dispute between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has intensified, making it unlikely to reach an agreement before the upcoming Easter holiday, with long airport security lines impacting spring travel.
- Democratic Proposal Rejected: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled the Republican proposal as 'bad faith' and announced a counteroffer, emphasizing its reasonableness despite not detailing specific points, reflecting the Democrats' insistence on immigration enforcement changes.
- Republican Pushback: GOP leaders claim that Democrats are shifting their funding demands, highlighting that the current proposal ensures funding for TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA, aiming to encourage Democrats to finalize an agreement to reopen DHS.
- Impact of DHS Shutdown: Since February, the shutdown of DHS has resulted in Transportation Security Administration employees missing paychecks and skipping work, leading to massive lines at airports nationwide, adversely affecting public travel experiences.










