Weekly Market Recap (Mar 8–14, 2026) ⚡️

🔴 U.S. equities fell for a third straight week, while crypto showed resilience.
S&P 500: −1.6%
Nasdaq Composite: −1.3%
Dow Jones Industrial Average: −2.0%
🔴 The sell-off was driven by geopolitical tensions, surging oil prices, and stagflation fears.
🔴 Brent Crude surged above $100 for the first time since Aug 2022, closing the week at $103.14 (+10%), while West Texas Intermediate ended at $98.71. Oil has jumped ~38% since the war began.
🔴 The spike followed threats from Mojtaba Khamenei to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, raising fears of the largest oil supply disruption ever, according to the International Energy Agency.
🔴 U.S. inflation data was stable (2.4% CPI YoY), but Q4 GDP was revised down to 0.7%, intensifying stagflation concerns.
🔴 Despite macro stress, Bitcoin and Ethereum gained on the week, with BTC climbing near $73.8K, outperforming equities and gold.
🔴 Outlook: Markets remain highly sensitive to oil. If the Strait of Hormuz reopens, risk assets could rally sharply. Until then, expect volatility.
📅 Next key event: Federal Reserve FOMC decision Wednesday — markets expect rates to hold, but the dot plot and 2026 outlook will drive sentiment. 🚨📊