How to Position Your Portfolio Amid Middle East Whiplash
As oil spikes, the dollar surges, and stocks gyrate, three top strategists offer a framework for investors navigating the Iran conflict's market fallout.
A Case for Buying the Dip: "Financial markets are the only store where when things go on sale, everybody runs out," said Eric Freedman, CIO at Northern Trust Wealth Management. Goldman Sachs put out a note arguing investors should see equity corrections as buying opportunities — economic resilience and robust earnings growth mean pullbacks will be limited, despite the "significant headwind" from war and AI disruption anxiety.
Sectors to Watch: New York Life's Lauren Goodwin recommends diversifying into financials, materials, and digital infrastructure tied to the AI theme, as well as high-quality small caps and non-US developed-market equities. Read the sector-by-sector analysis →
The Oil Problem: Oil and gas production has already been interrupted as major energy infrastructure is caught in the crosshairs. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — handling ~25% of global seaborne oil and ~20% of LNG supply — has nearly stopped. This means higher prices at the pump and growing inflation risk, while placing the Fed in an impossible position between rising prices and presidential pressure to cut rates.
Dollar as Haven Returns: The US currency staged its biggest two-day rally in nearly a year, reversing months of concern over dollar weakness. MLIV Strategist Skylar Montgomery Koning: "The dollar remains the clearest beneficiary of the conflict in the Middle East."
Bloomberg Billionaires Index — Weekly Movers
- Jeff Bezos gained the most: +$4.9B (now $241B). Amazon shares up ~3% on the week.
- Bernard Arnault lost the most: −$15.9B (now $167.8B). LVMH shares down ~10% on the week amid luxury sector sell-off.
Waymo Under Federal Scrutiny After School Bus and Ambulance Incidents
NHTSA and NTSB have opened formal investigations after Waymo robotaxis in Austin illegally passed a stopped school bus while children were boarding, and blocked an ambulance rushing to a mass-shooting scene.
In January, a Waymo robotaxi illegally passed a stopped school bus while children were boarding — after a remote human agent mistakenly cleared it to proceed. Austin ISD cameras have caught roughly two dozen similar Waymo school-bus violations since September. Both NHTSA and NTSB have opened formal investigations.
In a separate episode, a driverless Waymo briefly blocked an ambulance heading to an Austin mass shooting, forcing a police officer to commandeer the vehicle and move it. Waymo has filed a software recall and declined detailed public comment on the ambulance incident.
- ~24 school-bus violations recorded by Austin ISD cameras since September
- January incident is now the centerpiece of an active NTSB federal probe
- Waymo insists it is improving performance around school buses and emergency scenes
- Chinese robotaxi firms WeRide, Apollo Go, and Pony.ai paused services in parts of the Middle East amid regional tensions
Humanoid Robots Chase Billion-Dollar Funding as Industry Heats Up
German startup Neura Robotics nears a €1B raise backed by crypto giant Tether, while ex-SpaceX and Apple veterans at Noble Machines emerge from stealth with a heavy-lifting humanoid already on factory floors.
Neura Robotics (Germany): The Metzingen-based humanoid startup is reportedly closing in on a €1B (~$1.1B) round backed by stablecoin giant Tether, valuing it at roughly €4B ($4.3B). The company already has an order book of around €1B from industrial customers for transport robots, cobots, and robotic arms. A Tether-led round would mark one of the crypto firm's boldest moves outside digital assets.
Noble Machines (Sunnyvale): Founded by engineers from SpaceX, Apple, NASA, and Caltech, Noble Machines emerged from stealth just 18 months after founding. Its Moby humanoid is already deployed at an undisclosed Fortune Global 500 manufacturer. It runs end-to-end autonomy on a single NVIDIA Jetson Orin and can haul 60 lbs. across rough terrain — putting it in the same weight class as Boston Dynamics' Atlas.
NYC Housing Market Under Dual Threat: Tax Hike Proposal & Lock-In Effect
Mayor Mamdani's proposed 10% property tax increase could worsen New York City's housing crisis even as a national trend shows homeowners staying put for a record 12 years.
To close New York City's budget gap, Mayor Zohran Mamdani floated a property tax increase that could affect more than 3 million residential units. Policy and industry experts warn the people who could afford it least would bear the brunt. Mamdani has called it a last resort.
Meanwhile, a new Redfin report finds the typical American homeowner has stayed in their home for 12 years as of December — nearly double the median tenure of two decades ago. High borrowing costs, moving expenses, and accumulated home equity are keeping owners in place, strangling supply for first-time buyers.