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No End to Hike Talk
Fed’s Goolsbee said a rate hike is still on the table.
Ankit Sinha
March 24, 2026
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Market Snapshot
📉 Banana Bits
Singapore is bracing for higher inflation, raising the odds of tighter policy.
Japan’s inflation cooled below the BOJ’s target, easing pressure for hikes.
Apollo capped withdrawals from its private credit fund after redemptions hit 11%.
Fed’s Goolsbee said a rate hike is still on the table.
Market News
Markets Bounce… But Don’t Relax
Markets staged a relief rally after President Donald Trump signaled a possible de-escalation in tensions with Iran, saying he would delay strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure following what he called “productive talks.”
Oil prices tumbled, Brent Crude briefly dropped more than 14% and closed below $100, while the S&P 500 gained about 1% as investors welcomed the hint of diplomacy.
Bond yields and the dollar eased as traders dialed back some of their hawkish expectations for the Federal Reserve, betting that falling oil could ease inflation pressure. Analysts said the rally was also fueled by extremely oversold equity positions, meaning markets were primed to bounce if any good news appeared.
Still, investors remain cautious. Markets are likely to remain headline-driven, with the real test being whether oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz resume as normal. In other words: diplomacy may have calmed markets, for now, but traders are still watching the next tweet, headline, or tanker.
Peel Take: Markets bounced as falling oil eased inflation fears and reduced pressure on the Fed to stay hawkish. However, sentiment remains fragile, with investors closely watching whether oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz normalize.
What's Ripe
Albemarle Corp. (ALB) 6.9%
Shares of Albemarle rose sharply as lithium stocks rebounded amid easing macro tensions and improving sentiment. The move also follows recent volatility in lithium prices.
Peel Take: The bounce looks more like a relief rally after recent pressure. Lithium price swings still remain the key driver.
Super Micro Computer Inc. (SMCI) 5.1%
Shares of Super Micro Computer rebounded 5.1%, reversing earlier losses after plunging 33% last week when U.S. authorities charged a company co-founder and two others in an alleged scheme to divert U.S.-assembled servers to China in violation of export-control laws.
Peel Take: The bounce suggests some investors are stepping in after the sharp selloff, but ongoing legal scrutiny may keep pressure on the stock.
What's Rotten
Canadian Solar (CSIQ) 8.0%
CSIQ recently received an updated analyst rating from Roth Capital. Analyst Philip Shen has maintained a Neutral stance on the stock, while significantly lowering the price target.
The current price target was adjusted to $15.00 USD, representing a 50% decline from the prior target of $30.00 USD.
Peel Take: When your price target gets cut in half, “Neutral” doesn’t feel so neutral anymore; investors clearly got the message.
Alcoa Corp (AA) 0.6%
Shares of Alcoa slipped 0.6% even as aluminum prices surged, pressured by concerns over rising energy costs and broader increases in industrial metal prices.
Despite a 52.1% surge in the prior three months, cost pressures from energy (representing ~24% of production costs in 2025) and raw materials like caustic soda were cited as threats to operating margins.
Peel Take: Aluminum prices may be soaring, but so are Alcoa’s costs, and right now, the expense side of the equation is winning the argument.
🧠 Technical Trip
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🦈 Deal Dispatch
M&A, IPOs, And Other Notable Transactions
Prediction market founders are launching a new VC fund.
Blackstone is making its first sports bet with a move into cricket.
Kushner’s Middle East fund has grown to $6.2B in assets.
Berkshire Hathaway invested $1.8B in insurer Tokio Marine.
Nvidia-backed Firmus appointed new directors ahead of its planned IPO.
📊The Daily Poll
Will rising inflation push Singapore toward tighter policy soon? |
Previous Poll:
Is capital rotation into hard assets a temporary shift or a long-term trend?
Long-term shift: 36.0% // Short-term rotation: 28.0% // Sector overreaction: 12.0% // Too early to tell: 24.0%
Banana Brain Teaser
Previous
For the positive numbers, n, n + 1, n + 2, n + 4, and n + 8, the mean is how much greater than the median?
Answer: 1
Today
A certain experimental mathematics program was piloted in 2 classes at each of 32 elementary schools, involving 37 teachers. Each class had 1 teacher, and each teacher taught at least 1 but no more than 3 classes. If the number of teachers who taught 3 classes is n, then the least and greatest possible values of n, respectively, are?
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Chris, Vyom, Ankit, Mitchell, Fernanda, & Patrick