Tonight's Highlights | Oil Resumes Surge; Western Markets Under Pressure; Gold and Silver Plunge

International oil prices continued their aggressive ascent on Wednesday, weighing heavily on U.S. index futures and sparking a broad sell-off across European benchmarks. Meanwhile, precious metals faced a severe rout.

The surge follows a dramatic escalation in the Middle East: Iran targeted a critical Qatari LNG export facility, while Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes against Qatari energy infrastructure. The South Pars field, shared by Iran and Qatar, is the world's largest natural gas deposit.

President Trump issued a stark warning, stating that if further Qatari facilities are attacked, the U.S. will "completely destroy the entire South Pars field."

Brent Crude: Spiked 6% intraday to $114 per barrel.
Spot Gold: Plunged over 4%, slipping below $4,600/oz.
Spot Silver: Crashed nearly 10%, falling below $68/oz.

Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge commented: "The core dilemma remains unchanged. While the U.S. and Israel are 'winning the war' in a traditional sense, there seems to be no military mechanism to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without boots on the ground. This suggests the waterway is unlikely to return to normal without a diplomatic solution—one that currently lacks momentum."

Despite the volatility, some investors hold out hope for a recovery supported by robust corporate earnings. However, the duration of the conflict remains the ultimate wild card. Venu Krishna, Head of U.S. Equity Strategy at Barclays, noted: "The biggest uncertainty is how long this lasts. A protracted crisis could crush the market via inflation and stalling growth, though that isn't our baseline yet."

Micron ($MU) fell 6% in pre-market trading; however, Citi analysts dismissed the move as "partial profit-taking," citing the company's nearly tripled revenue last quarter driven by memory shortages.

Corporate News

Apple Projected to Capture 28% Foldable Market Share by 2026

According to Counterpoint Research, global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to grow 20% by 2026, fueled by Apple’s anticipated entry and the continued premiumization of the market. The report predicts the "foldable iPhone" will be a critical inflection point, allowing Apple to seize 28% market share and challenge Samsung’s long-standing leadership.

Musk: SpaceX AI and Tesla to Continue Massive Nvidia Orders

Elon Musk posted on March 18 expressing deep appreciation for Nvidia and Jensen Huang, stating the company's valuation is well-deserved. He confirmed that SpaceX AI and Tesla are expected to continue placing large-scale orders for Nvidia chips.

Amazon Refutes USPS Cutback Rumors; Remains Committed to Partnership

Following reports of planned shipping cuts, Amazon issued a statement on March 18 reaffirming its commitment to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The company described the USPS national network as a "vital asset" and stated it is prepared to continue the partnership to ensure reliable delivery across all American communities.

IBM Expands Collaboration with Nvidia at GTC 2026

IBM announced an expanded partnership with Nvidia focusing on GPU-native data analytics, unstructured data extraction, and large-scale enterprise AI deployment. The collaboration also aims to enhance global supply chain decision-making for clients like Nestlé.

Samsung Electronics Plans Over 110 Trillion Won in 2026 CapEx and R&D

Regulatory filings reveal Samsung plans to invest over 110 trillion KRW ($74B+) in 2026 to secure its lead in the AI semiconductor era. The tech giant is also scouting for "meaningful M&A opportunities" in high-tech robotics, med-tech, and automotive components.

Alibaba Q3 Revenue Up 2%; Shares Slide in Pre-market

Alibaba ($BABA) reported third-quarter revenue of 284.84 billion RMB ($40.73B), a 2% YoY increase. Net income reached 15.63 billion RMB. Despite the steady top-line, Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares fell nearly 6% in pre-market trading.

WeRide Launches Slovakia’s First Autonomous Driving Project

WeRide announced a strategic partnership with ELEVATE Slovakia, marking its fourth European market expansion. The project represents Europe’s first state-level, large-scale commercial deployment of autonomous driving across multiple product lines.