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Despite the rising cost of beef, Americans seem to be buying more of it than ever. As of January 2026, there are now four people for every cow in the US, while in 1980, this ratio was around two humans per cow. Part of the reason for the shift is that more meat per cow is now harvestable, thanks to changes in genetics and feeding techniques. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 2000 once again notched record closing highs last week and oil dropped, as both the US and Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open. But that’s all in jeopardy now. More on that below… 🧠 Give our Snacks Seven Quiz a try. Here’s the first question: |
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What’s happening this week: |
- Monday: Earnings expected from Cleveland-Cliffs, Alaska Air, and Steel Dynamics
- Tuesday: Earnings expected from GE Aerospace, DR Horton, RTX Corp, Synchrony Financial, Halliburton, Northrop Grumman, UnitedHealth, 3M, Interactive Brokers, and United Airlines. March retail sales
- Wednesday: Earnings expected from Tesla, GE Vernova, Boeing, AT&T, CME Group, Vertiv, Texas Instruments, Philip Morris International, Lam Research, ServiceNow, Southwest Airlines, IBM, Crown Castle, and Las Vegas Sands
- Thursday: Earnings expected from Lockheed Martin, Freeport-McMoRan, NextEra Energy, American Airlines, Dow, Blackstone, American Express, Intel, and Baker Hughes
- Friday: Earnings expected from Procter & Gamble, Hasbro, and Gilead
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Early Friday morning, Iran’s foreign minister posted on X declaring the Strait of Hormuz open. President Trump chimed in shortly thereafter: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” Just like that, markets shifted. But just as fast as the Strait was opened, it was closed again and the state of the war was as tenuous as it’s been since the ceasefire started. On Saturday morning, Iran’s military reportedly said the strait had “returned to its previous state.” A UK maritime authority said it had gotten word of a tanker coming under Iranian fire near Oman. Ships were turning back. |
- Then Sunday night, things got even more heated: President Trump and US Central Command said the US had opened fire on an Iranian ship that had, after hours of warnings, defied the US blockade of its ports. The US said Marines had seized the ship. The Associated Press, citing Iranian state-run media, said Iran vowed a swift response.
- S&P 500 futures dropped sharply as soon as trading opened Sunday evening as confusion reigned in the waterway. Oil futures rose.
- Many of the stocks whose trajectories shifted on Friday — like airlines, cruise companies, energy stocks, and risk-on plays — stood to potentially have their fortunes reversed during Monday trading.
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The war in Iran has shown time and time again just how quickly things can change, but investors were hopeful that opening the strait — the most meaningful economic choke point of the war — would at least lead to lower costs, and potentially an eventual end to the war. Now that future has gotten cloudier. |
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Space Technology: An Emerging Investment Opportunity |
The space economy is no longer in its experimental era. Right now, it’s a $626 billion commercial market projected to hit $1 trillion by 2035.1 As technology advances, an array of space-based applications is transforming into potential high-growth markets. It’s not limited to aerospace and defense incumbents — emerging disruptors and new private-market entrants are all expanding the investable universe. With launch costs falling and reusable rockets unlocking renewed commercial scale, there is a real opportunity for investors to hone in on the orbital economy. The Global X Space Tech ETF (ORBX) provides exposure to companies generating significant revenue from space-specific business lines. Made up of everything from launch systems to satellite telecom to space tourism, ORBX seeks to invest in innovators that are shooting for the stars. Don’t just watch the launch. Be part of the next generation of space tech with ORBX, the pure-play space ETF. |
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Stories we’re obsessed with |
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- With the status of the Strait of Hormuz giving oil prices whiplash, traders’ forecasts for its price by the end of the year were also shifting rapidly on the news. Event contracts* on Sunday showed a 43% likelihood of oil costing $130.01 a barrel or higher by the end of 2026. On Friday, that was 33%. On April 5, that likelihood had topped out at 77%.
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*Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC. |
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- Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 pill hit nearly 1,400 prescriptions in its first week
- On Friday, Anthropic launched Claude Design, a dedicated app powered by its latest model, Claude Opus 4.7
- Apple’s iPhone shipments in China jumped 20% last quarter, even as the country’s overall smartphone market fell 4%
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Important Information 1. Novaspace. (2026, January). The Space Economy Report. |
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