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Market Snapshot

📉 Banana Bits

• Treasury yields fall as optimism around a potential Iran deal eases pressure on the Fed.

• The BOJ appears to be on track to raise interest rates to their highest level since 1995, despite a cautious stance from Governor Ueda.

• Trump signals that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could soon come to an end as an Iran deal nears.

• The RBA is expected to pause rate hikes for the first time in 2026 as inflation pressures ease.

• India’s inflation remains below the RBI’s target, giving policymakers room to stay on hold.

Market News

Peace Be Upon Stocks

Wall Street extended its rally as growing optimism over a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement pushed oil prices sharply lower and boosted investor sentiment. 

The S&P 500 gained 0.5%, while SpaceX surged 19% in its highly anticipated public debut after completing the largest IPO in history. Oil prices fell below $85 per barrel as U.S. officials indicated that an interim agreement reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear ambitions could be signed within days.

Lower energy prices helped ease inflation concerns, prompting traders to push back expectations for any future Federal Reserve rate hike to 2027. Economic data also supported the bullish mood, with U.S. consumer sentiment rising for the first time in four months as Americans benefited from lower gasoline prices and easing inflation expectations.

Investors largely looked past lingering geopolitical risks and instead focused on the prospect of lower energy costs, stable interest rates, and continued corporate activity. On the corporate front:

• Roku reportedly explored a potential sale.

• Exxon Mobil evaluated acquisition opportunities in LNG markets.

• Blackstone considered a Canadian real estate deal.

• Flutter Entertainment announced plans to delist from London in favor of New York.

While markets remain cautious until a formal agreement is signed, investors are increasingly positioning for a world where diplomacy replaces disruption.

Peel Take: Markets are acting as if peace is the ultimate stimulus package. A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would not only ease pressure on oil prices but could also remove one of the biggest inflation risks hanging over the global economy. Combined with SpaceX's blockbuster IPO and resilient consumer sentiment, investors suddenly have a much friendlier macro backdrop to work with. The catch? Markets have already priced in a lot of good news. If negotiations hit another roadblock, the same optimism fueling stocks today could unwind just as quickly. For now, however, Wall Street is betting that diplomacy is about to become the market's newest growth catalyst.

What's Ripe

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX) 19.2%

• SPCX opened at $150 and closed at $160.95, finishing its first day of trading up 19.2% from its IPO price of $135 per share.

• The strong debut added to the excitement surrounding the largest IPO in history, as investors rushed to gain exposure to Elon Musk's space, satellite, and rapidly growing AI infrastructure businesses.

• Peel Take: SpaceX's first day of trading showed that demand for the company's shares remains far from saturated. Investors aren't just buying a rocket company but buying exposure to multiple mega-trends at once: space launch, satellite connectivity, defense technology, and AI infrastructure.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) 4.7%

• AMD climbed 4.7% to $511.57 after Citi upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and raised its price target to $575 from $460.

• The upgrade reflects growing confidence in the company's positioning within the AI and semiconductor ecosystem, with analysts seeing further upside despite the sector's strong rally over the past year.

• Peel Take: Nothing gets Wall Street more excited than a higher price target. Citi essentially told investors that the AI party isn't over yet, and the stock responded accordingly. In today's market, analyst upgrades have become a vote of confidence not just in earnings but in a company's ability to capture a larger share of the AI spending boom.

What's Rotten

AST SpaceMobile Inc. (ASTS) 15.5%

• ASTS plunged 15.5%, while launch infrastructure provider Firefly Aerospace dropped 19%, as investors took profits across the space sector.

• The declines came after a massive run-up in recent weeks, with enthusiasm around the SpaceX IPO driving valuations sharply higher and leaving little room for disappointment.

• Peel Take: Sometimes the best way to tell a stock has gone to the moon is when it suddenly comes back to Earth. AST SpaceMobile and Firefly were among the biggest beneficiaries of the excitement surrounding SpaceX's blockbuster IPO, but investors appeared eager to lock in gains after the sector's recent surge

Adobe Inc. (ADBE) 6.8%

• ADBE fell 6.8% despite reporting better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raising its full-year guidance.

• Investors instead focused on the departure of CFO Dan Durn, who is leaving to join chip-and-networking firm Marvell Technology, raising concerns about leadership continuity at a critical time for the company.

• Peel Take: Earnings beats are great, but losing a respected CFO can sometimes overshadow even strong results. Investors tend to view finance chiefs as the adults in the room, especially during periods of rapid growth and AI-driven investment.

🧠 Technical Trip

Interview Q&A from Blackstone

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📚 Lesson from the Library

🎥 Power BI: Turning Data Into Decisions

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🦈 Deal Dispatch

M&A, IPOs, And Other Notable Transactions

• Roku explores strategic sale options amid accelerating media consolidation.

• Scotiabank moves to acquire full ownership of its Jamaican banking unit.

• Ice Cube takes his basketball league to the public markets.

• L Catterton explores a potential deal involving fitness racing brand Hyrox.

📊The Daily Poll

Previous Poll:

ECB officials are signaling another rate hike. What affects your finances the most?

Interest rates: 34.2% // Inflation: 23.7% // Taxes: 10.5% // Stock market moves: 31.6%

Student Success Corner

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Banana Brain Teaser

Previous

How many prime numbers between 1 and 100 are factors of 7,150?

Answer: 4

Today

November 16, 2001, was a Friday. If each of the years 2004, 2008, and 2012 had 366 days, and the remaining years from 2001 through 2014 had 365 days, what day of the week was November 16, 2014?

How Would You Rate Today's Peel?

Happy Investing,
Chris, Ankit, Mitchell, Fernanda, Nick, & Patrick

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