NVDA Nvidia and SMCI Super Micro face federal prosecution after DOJ charged three men overnight with smuggling AI chips to China. SMCI plunged 12% after hours as the scandal broke. The charges hit despite Nvidia sealing a massive AWS deal delivering 1 million processors to AMZN Amazon by 2027.
The export control violations underscore mounting geopolitical tensions. AXTI AXT surged 19% Thursday on AI chip demand yet the smuggling charges cast shadows over semiconductor export compliance.
Iran struck Qatar's largest LNG facility causing extensive damage per FT reporting. Oil in Oman soared above $150 as buyers scrambled to replace Gulf barrels. The Strait of Hormuz closure entered week three creating massive dislocation between benchmarks and physical supply costs.
Analysts warned Tehran's ability to disrupt flows "has a way to go". Economists flagged the oil price surge will hurt US growth and fuel inflation. Asian markets tumbled as investors braced for prolonged Middle East conflict.
CRM Salesforce SI exploded to 10.3% this week in what outlets called a "SaaSapocalypse". ADBE Adobe and SNOW Snowflake faced similar pressure as bears tripled down on cloud software. The $183B Salesforce became the most dramatically shorted major stock.
Banks prepared to offload $18B in debt tied to the EA take-private deal testing junk bond markets at peak stress. JPMorgan halted $5.3B in debt deals as AI disruption fears chilled appetite.
META Meta faced high-stakes trial over social media risks to children as jurors examined daunting evidence. European stocks closed mixed as defensive rotation accelerated globally.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
