Trump Warns Iran of Possible Conflict Resurgence
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 18 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Oil Price Surge: Trump's social media comments urging Iran to 'get moving' have led to a spike in oil prices overnight, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of conflict that could destabilize global energy markets.
- Market Volatility: Following Trump's remarks, stock futures have fallen, setting Wall Street up for another day of significant losses, highlighting the direct impact of political factors on market sentiment.
- Delta Air Lines Investment: Berkshire Hathaway's announcement of a $2.6 billion stake in Delta Air Lines, making it the company's 14th largest holding, reflects confidence in the airline industry's recovery and may drive Delta's stock price higher.
- Meta Layoff Plans: Meta is expected to lay off about 10% of its workforce this week, amidst widespread layoffs in the tech sector, which could dampen employee morale and underscores the company's urgent need for cost control.
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Analyst Views on DAL
Wall Street analysts forecast DAL stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 79.510
Low
77.00
Averages
83.50
High
90.00
Current: 79.510
Low
77.00
Averages
83.50
High
90.00
About DAL
Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company has hubs and markets in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Bogota, Boston, Detroit, Lima, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo, Seattle, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. Its segments include Airline and Refinery. Its airline segment is managed as a single business unit that provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world and includes its loyalty program, as well as other ancillary businesses. Its refinery segment operates for the benefit of the airline segment by providing jet fuel to the airline segment from its own production and through jet fuel obtained through agreements with third parties. The refinery's production consists of jet fuel as well as non-jet fuel products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Surge in Trading Volume: American Airlines Group closed at $13.50 on Friday, up 1.50%, with trading volume reaching 105.7 million shares, which is 75% above its three-month average, indicating heightened market interest in its growth potential.
- Debt Level Reduction: The company successfully reduced its debt to $34.7 billion, the lowest in over a decade, which, despite high fuel price pressures, lays a foundation for future profitability growth according to analysts.
- Earnings Beat Expectations: American Airlines exceeded earnings expectations in Q1 2026, demonstrating that its efforts to enhance customer loyalty and increase premium demand are yielding results, even as its stock fell nearly 8% this week.
- Complex Market Environment: While airline stocks showed mixed performance and face challenges from fluctuating oil prices, American Airlines' growth potential and strong market demand may support its long-term recovery.
See More
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- Surge in Trading Volume: The trading volume reached 105.7 million shares, about 75% above the three-month average, indicating a significant rise in market interest for the stock.
- Improved Financial Position: The company's debt has been reduced to $34.7 billion, its lowest level in over a decade, and Q1 2026 earnings exceeded expectations, showcasing resilience amid high fuel price pressures.
- Future Growth Potential: Despite challenges from rising fuel prices, analysts believe that the company's focus on loyalty programs, increasing premium demand, and debt reduction will lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.
See More
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- Massive Market Potential: According to a Morgan Stanley report, the total addressable market for urban air mobility could reach a staggering $9 trillion by 2050, highlighting the significant growth potential of the eVTOL industry and attracting investor interest.
- FAA Certification Progress: Joby and Archer, as partners in the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, are accelerating their progress through the rigorous multistage certification process, paving the way for future commercial operations and ensuring their competitive positioning in this emerging market.
- Divergent Business Models: Joby is pursuing a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer model, planning to own and operate its own air taxi network, while Archer adopts an asset-light approach, leveraging partnerships with Stellantis to achieve efficient production and rapid market expansion.
- Enhanced Production Capacity: Joby's facilities in California and Ohio can produce up to 500 eVTOL aircraft annually, while Archer's high-volume manufacturing facility in Georgia aims for 650 aircraft per year, showcasing the competitive advantages in production capabilities for both companies.
See More
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- Dow's Historic High: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an all-time high during a strong trading session, reflecting market optimism about the potential end of the Iran war, despite a weaker performance from the Nasdaq, indicating a divergence in tech stocks.
- Oil Price Decline: Brent crude futures fell by 2.8% to close at $95.03 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 3.1% to settle at $93.04, suggesting a reduction in market concerns over future supply, which could impact profitability in the energy sector.
- Tech Stock Volatility: Broadcom's stock plummeted approximately 15% after missing revenue expectations, dragging the Nasdaq down nearly 0.1%, highlighting the pressures faced by the tech industry that may affect overall market sentiment.
- SpaceX IPO Festivities: Major Wall Street banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley, are hosting lavish events for SpaceX's record $75 billion IPO, which is expected to value the company at $1.75 trillion, further driving market attention towards tech stock performance.
See More
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- Fuel Cost Pressure: Delta CEO Ed Bastian noted that current jet fuel prices are roughly double what they were earlier this year; nevertheless, airlines are managing to offset these costs by raising ticket prices, indicating strong market demand and confidence in a resolution to the conflict.
- Earnings Expectations Downgraded: Wall Street analysts have lowered their adjusted EPS estimates for airlines for 2026, with United Airlines' forecast dropping from $13.33 to $9.46, and similar declines for Delta and Southwest, reflecting a cautious outlook on future profitability.
- Sustained Market Demand: Despite rising costs, airlines are maintaining strong demand, with Delta and United successfully increasing fares in the current environment, suggesting they are likely to benefit from future capacity constraints and demonstrating relative resilience against the industry's cyclical nature.
See More
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- Surging Market Demand: As AI computing demand continues to outstrip data center supply, the growing bottleneck on land and permitting is driving companies to explore space data centers as a new solution to alleviate pressure on natural resources.
- Nvidia's Space Computing: Nvidia is developing the Space-1 Vera Rubin Module specifically for orbital data centers, with its latest earnings report showing a 92% year-over-year increase in data center spending, indicating significant market potential for space infrastructure investments.
- Amazon's Space Initiatives: Amazon Web Services (AWS) reported a 28% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 and plans to launch AWS Outposts in space through Starcloud, further expanding its customer base and enhancing its competitive position in the market.
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See More
