Global investment fund managers are increasing cash holdings at the fastest pace since the COVID-19 pandemic: the war in Iran and risks in the private credit segment are undermining previous optimism, the Financial Times<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/0906a9ed-3b00-4f95-9ad8-44a49d025e57?syn-25a6b1a6=1"> writes</a>.

Investment funds withdraw assets to cache at record pace since pandemic amid Iran war

The European Commission (EC) <a href="https://finance.ec.europa.eu/document/download/66e8fd7d-8057-4b9b-96c2-5e54bf573cd1_en?filename=faqs-sanctions-russia-consolidated_en.pdf">has put an</a> end to a long-standing dispute between banks and fintech start-ups with Russian clients residing in the EU. Officials have issued a clarification: Russian citizenship alone is not grounds for closing an account.

European Commission tells banks how to apply payment sanctions to Russians with residence permits 

Eli Lilly and Company

Novo Nordisk A/S

HSBC analysts called the market for obesity drugs "bloated"

Eli Lilly received a rare "sell" recommendation from analysts. Shares fell by 6%

A proposal to replace quarterly reporting for public companies with semi-annual reports is being prepared by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, sources tell The Wall Street Journal

Quarterly company reporting may become optional in the U.S. - WSJ

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

American Airlines Group Inc.

JetBlue Airways Corporation

Contrary to rising jet fuel costs, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue and Frontier Airlines have all raised their revenue forecasts for the first quarter of 2026

U.S. airlines are recording strong demand despite the war. Their stocks are rising

Citi's pessimistic scenario assumes the largest cryptocurrency collapses to $58,000

Citi worsens bitcoin forecast by 20% due to stalled cryptocurrency laws in the US

Israel said it has <a href="https://oninvest.com/article/izrail-zaavil-o-likvidacii-klucevoj-figury-v-irane-pravoj-ruki-ubitogo-hamenei">eliminated</a> the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, he was killed in an Israeli Defense Forces airstrike on the night of March 17. He is one of the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, the right hand of the deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has announced the elimination of Larijani, a key executive in Iran. Why it matters

Investors may underestimate the scale of global economic turbulence, which can provoke a war in the Middle East, said the global economist of Bank of America Securities (BoFA) Antonio Gabriel. His opinion is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-16/markets-may-be-underpricing-iran-risks-bank-of-america-warns">quoted by</a> Bloomberg. According to BoFA analysts, the main risks in connection with the armed conflict is not so much the growth of inflation, on which the markets are now focused, as the resistance of world economies to energy shocks. And also - irreversible losses in energy production in the Gulf countries, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-inflation-recession-iran-oil-prices-war-economy-bofa-2026-3">writes</a> Business Insider.

'Risk of irreversible loss': BofA pointed to underestimated threats of war in Iran

Data

Beyond Meat, Inc.

Shares of plant-based meat producer <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BYND/">Beyond Meat</a> fell nearly 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the company <a href="https://investors.beyondmeat.com/news-releases/news-release-details/beyond-meatr-reports-delay-annual-report-form-10-k-full-year">said</a>&nbsp;it would not be able to file its annual report on time. Beyond Meat stock has been “a colossal disappointment,” Motley Fool contributor Will Ebiefung <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/03/14/3-reasons-to-sell-beyond-meat-stock-before-its-too/">wrote</a>&nbsp;a few days before.

Beyond Meat shares selling off on annual report delay, preliminary 4Q revenue

Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.

Wells Fargo has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/13/wells-fargo-upgrades-this-discount-retail-chain-on-store-growth-and-value-shopping-tailwinds.html">upgraded</a>&nbsp;mid-cap discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet as the company expands its store network and increases comparable-store sales, while it may also benefit from new tax incentives in the U.S. As a result, the analysts say “confidence is building into an attractive '26 set-up.”

'Confidence is building': Wells Fargo upgrades mid-cap discount retailer Ollie's

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.

Shares of Petco, a pet-supplies retailer, jumped 34.6% on Thursday after the company improved its outlook for 2026 and said it expects sales to rebound, helped by an expanded assortment of services and pets sold in stores – with tarantulas seen as a new pet trend in the U.S. Jefferies raised its target price for Petco stock, saying the shares do not reflect the progress made so far or the potential for further changes and trade at a discount versus peers.

Petco shares soar on 4Q/2026 earnings, driven by services, fresh food, and tarantulas

CarMax, Inc.

Carvana Co.

Activist investor Starboard Value has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/activist-starboard-is-said-to-build-350-million-stake-in-carmax">acquired</a>&nbsp;about $350 million worth of shares in CarMax, a mid-cap retailer of used cars. With the arrival of a new chief executive, the company faces a “timely opportunity to address fixable execution gaps and unlock CarMax’s full value potential,” the activist said.

'A big opportunity': Activist Starboard takes stake in used car retailer CarMax

Aeva Technologies, Inc.

The Hackett Group, Inc.

Extreme Networks, Inc.

TipRanks has <a href="https://www.tipranks.com/news/3-small-cap-tech-stocks-with-strong-buy-ratings-and-big-upside-in-2026">identified</a>&nbsp;three small cap tech stocks with "strong buy" ratings and big upside in 2026. Year to date, their share performance has diverged, yet Wall Street still sees upside of at least 49%.

TipRanks names three tech small caps that Wall Street thinks have at least 49% upside

Small Caps

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