Stocks

During the week ending Friday, West Texas Intermediate crude notched its largest weekly advance since U.S. futures began trading in 1983, closing at $90.90 a barrel and jumping 35.63% amid war-related supply disruptions. Over the same period, Brent crude climbed about 28% to $92.69, while major U.S. stock indices, including the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq, fell as traders contended with surging energy prices and weaker labor data.

The US-Israel war in Iran is disrupting the Strait of Hormuz and increasing risk for Toyota, Hyundai, Chery, and other Chinese car brands in key Middle Eastern markets. An analysis from Bernstein highlights that these foreign automakers, which together hold about one‑third of the covered regional market, face shipment delays, higher logistics costs, and potential sales pressure as oil prices surge and traffic through the strait slows. China, which receives around 45% of its oil via this route, is engaging Iran over safe passage for energy cargoes while global automakers and investors monitor the fallout.

On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 785 points, or 1.61%, to 47,399 amid a Brent crude surge to $90 and shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Energy supply fears from the US-Iran conflict drove heavy losses in major financial, industrial, and healthcare names, while select energy stocks gained. Analysts' models now link further oil price spikes to additional Dow declines, with upcoming payroll data and potential Hormuz developments set to determine whether the index rebounds or slides toward lower levels.

In February, the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs while the unemployment rate registered 4.4%, with 7.6 million people counted as unemployed. Labor force participation remained at 62.0% and the employment-population ratio stayed at 59.3%, as long-term joblessness reached 1.9 million people who had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. U.S. crude oil prices also surged above $80 per barrel, pushing gasoline prices higher amid escalating conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

AppLovin Corp (APP) closed the session on March 5, 2026, with a solid 5.43% gain, ending at $508.56. The rally marks a second day of upward momentum following management’s appearance at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, where executives outlined an aggressive pivot from mobile gaming into the global e-commerce advertising market.

On Thursday, cloud and software stocks climbed even as the broader U.S. equity market fell sharply and oil prices spiked. The WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund rose 2.7%, its strongest session since April 24, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 784.67 points and crude benchmarks WTI and Brent settled significantly higher. Major cloud names like Okta, Wix.com, MongoDB and others posted notable gains, and global forex pairs also saw mild moves as traders reacted to the day's market shocks.

In early March 2026, ZeroHash applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a National Trust Bank Charter, aiming to provide nationwide digital asset custody under a federal regime. A day later, UK-based neobank Revolut submitted its own application for a full U.S. National Bank Charter and named Cetin Duransoy as its U.S. CEO. The moves come as multiple crypto-focused and traditional institutions pursue OCC banking charters during a wave of recent approvals for digital asset trust banks.

On March 5, 2026, a US federal judge ordered the government to start refunding more than $130 billion in tariffs to thousands of American companies after Trump's broad duties were struck down. At the same time, Trump has activated new 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which can increase to 15% for up to 150 days and have already prompted the EU to pause a trade deal.

In 2025, Solana's role as a payment and settlement network strengthened, with total payment volume climbing 755.3% and surpassing the growth of many fintech platforms. The chain processed an estimated $2.61B in stablecoin transfers and captured 46% of stablecoin activity among comparable networks, supported by integrations with firms such as Revolut, VISA, Stripe, Worldpay, Western Union, and Fiserv.

On 5 March 2026, London-based digital banking platform Revolut announced it had formally applied for a U.S. banking license, describing the move as a key milestone in its mission to build a truly global bank. If regulators approve the application, the company could expand its American operations beyond current fintech services to include insured deposits, lending products and broader banking infrastructure, strengthening its position in one of the world's most competitive financial markets.