8 hours ago — David Petraeus told Euronews' morning show Europe Today that European countries may join US-Israel operations against Iran, mostly in air ...
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Uploaded: Mar 2, 20267.34K Views158 Likes
Tuesday, March 03, 2026
"Buy The Dip" Mentality....Iran conflict just adds to wall of worry for U.S. stocks,
"WALL OF WORRY" is a financial market adage describing a scenario where
stock prices rise, or a bull market continues, despite widespread
economic, political, or social anxieties
. Markets "climb" this
metaphorical wall as investors overcome fears—such as inflation,
geopolitical conflict, or rising interest rates—leading to sustained,
often surprising, upward trends.
Citi's chief U.S. equity strategist,
Scott Chronert,
warns that while the escalation of the conflict with Iran—marked by
"Operation Epic Fury" over the weekend of February 28, 2026—heightens
the "wall of worry" for stocks, it may not be the primary driver of long-term market performance.Key Insights from Citi Strategy
- The "Wall of Worry": Chronert notes that rising geopolitical tension and spiking oil prices (which surged over 6% to roughly $76/barrel) add to existing investor concerns regarding inflation and interest rates.
- AI vs. Conflict: Interestingly, Chronert argues that AI-induced inflation or deflation remains a more critical long-term driver for share prices than the military conflict itself.
- Conflict Duration Matters: History suggests that for markets, the duration of military engagement and the expectations surrounding it are more impactful than the initial outbreak.
- Bullish Resilience: Despite the "wall of worry," Chronert recently reconfirmed an above-consensus $320 EPS target for the S&P 500 in 2026, suggesting that strong earnings and appealing valuations for the "Elite Eight" tech stocks provide a buffer.
Market Reaction (March 2, 2026)
Following
the initial weekend strikes, U.S. markets experienced a volatile
session on Monday, March 2, characterized by a "buy the dip" mentality
that erased early sharp losses.
| Index | Closing Value | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 6,881.62 | +0.04% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 22,748.86 | +0.36% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Avg | 48,904.78 | -0.15% |
Mar 2, 2026 7:35 AM - 3:15 PM
| Asset Name | Asset Price | Price Delta | Percent Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
Dow Jones Industrial Average | 48,904.78 | 0 | |
S&P 500 | 6,881.62 | 0 | |
Nasdaq Composite | 22,748.86 | 80.65 |
Sector Winners and Losers
- Gainers: Energy and Defense stocks rose as traders priced in supply disruptions and increased military spending. Notable movers included Nvidia (+2.99%) and Chevron (+1.52%).
- Losers: Consumer-facing and interest-rate-sensitive stocks, such as Home Depot (-2.60%) and Procter & Gamble (-2.21%), lagged as the "wall of worry" regarding inflation persisted.
If you'd like, I can look into:
- Specific defense or energy stocks that analysts are highlighting right now.
- Updated Fed rate cut expectations following the recent oil price jump.
- More details on the "Elite Eight" valuations mentioned by Citi.
AI responses may include mistakes. For financial advice, consult a professional. Learn more
Iran conflict just adds to wall of worry for U.S. stocks, says Citi strategist
Wall of Worry for US Stocks
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News in Brief
Bloomberg:
- World’s top container carriers revise sailings to avoid Mideast.
- Millions of migrant workers in gulf at risk as war rages on.
- Middle East conflict imposes another stress test on Global Resilience.
MarketWatch:
- Iran conflicts just adds to wall of worry for US stocks, says Citi strategist.
- Apple launches new iPhone and iPad Air as it gears up for a major AI push.
yahoo! finance:
- Trump’s Iran war adds potential shock for US economy, voters.
- US stocks tumble after Iran attacks jolt markets.
- Oil soars as Mideast strikes stall Hormuz tanker traffic.
Iran conflict sparks talk of a return to $100-a-barrel oil and a Strait of Hormuz standstill.
Global Indexes
S&P 500
After dipping way below the S&P 500 climbed back to close just below its 50 DMA resistance.
DAX
The DAX reacted with a breakaway gap to close with a high wave candle in reaction to the Iran conflict.
HANG SENG
The HANG SENG continued its negative trend with a 2.1% correction.
NYSE & NASDAQ Stocks
Estee Lauder Companies
EL made largest correction for the day. Notice where Frontrunner broke down.
NVIDIA Corporation
After touching its 200 DMA support NVDA made an engulfing bull candle to close positive for the day.
JSE Stocks
JSE All Shares
The JSE All Shares reaction to the conflict was a negative piercing candle.
Anglo American PLC
After touching top resistance 3 times AGL bounced down.
Algomodel Strategies, Education & Features
Click on Education or go to the home page to view education posts.
Alter Net Report: U.S. military officials privately refute Pentagon chief’s spin to reporters
Ahead of the strikes, the U.S. evacuated the embassy in Israel but nowhere else. The State Department has now called on every American across the entire region to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is in spin mode about the U.S. soldiers killed in Kuwait as part if the new war with Iran, military officials are telling CBS News.
According to the report, the soldiers who died were in "a makeshift office space" in a tactical operations center at the Shuaiba port in Kuwait. The U.S. ally is entering day four of the barrage of attacks from drones and missiles.
When speaking to the press on Monday morning, Hegseth claimed that there was an incredible weapon that Iran had that managed to make it past air defenses and the fortifications. It turns out that was false.
"You have air defenses, and a lot's coming in, and you hit most of it," Hegseth said Monday during the Pentagon briefing. "Every once in a while, you might have one, unfortunately, we call it a squirter, that makes its way through. And in that particular case, it happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons."
Three top military
officials dispute that the operations center was "fortified."
- Speaking to CBS News, they said it was little more than a triple-wide trailer that left American soldiers no protection.
- The trailer had some "T-walls" surrounding it, large concrete walls that an individual can walk through when accessing the building, but would protect it from any nearby explosions or shrapnel.
- There was zero protection for the trailer itself.
- So, when drones attacked from above, they were sitting ducks.
Two officials told CBS that the attack struck the trailer dead center.
Three officials told the reporters that there was a discussion before the strike about it concentrating too many soldiers in one place which "wasn't defendable."
A fireball engulfed the trailer, which added to the complications in retrieving the bodies of the U.S. soldiers. Two sources told CBS that they never even heard warning sirens ahead of the attack, despite top equipment designed to detect and alert anyone on the ground.
The
larger problem, they said, is that the warning siren hadn't worked all
week.
- There's also no counter-rocket system that can shoot down drones like that.
- There were requests for some kind of protections but the Trump administration never sent anything.
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