Berkshire Hathaway’s New CEO Signals Confidence With $15M Stock Purchase

Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO, Greg Abel, recently purchased $15 million worth of company stock, roughly equal to his entire after-tax salary. The purchase was revealed in regulatory filings and comes at the same time the company has restarted its own share buyback program. The purchase is notable because it comes early in Abel’s career as CEO, after Warren Buffett stepped down from the role at the beginning of 2026 while remaining chairman. Abel explained that the decision to disclose the buyback activity was meant to provide transparency during the leadership transition. He also confirmed that Buffett was consulted on the timing and valuation of the repurchase decision.

Berkshire has a policy allowing it to buy back shares when management believes the stock is trading below its intrinsic value. This is the first repurchase since May 2024. The company had previously bought back large amounts of stock from 2018–2024 before pausing when the share price hit record highs in 2025.

Shares of Berkshire Hathaway’s Class B stock rose about 1% in premarket trading following the news. However, the stock has had a mixed performance recently. It is down about 3% so far in 2026, fell almost 5% after its latest earnings report, currently trading below key moving averages, and gained 11% in 2025, underperforming the S&P 500, which rose 16%. 

Abel’s $15 million stock purchase and Berkshire’s renewed buybacks suggest that management believes the stock is currently undervalued. If investors agree with that assessment, this could help support or gradually increase the stock price over time.

New CEO Buys $15 million in stock, Berkshire Restarts Buybacks

UAE freezing Iranian assets

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly considering freezing Iranian assets held within its financial system as tensions in the Middle East escalate. Freezing assets prevents a country from accessing money stored abroad, which limits the ability to internationally trade, stabilize its currency, or finance government activities. For Iran, which already faces heavy international sanctions, losing access to funds in a major financial support like the UAE could further damage its economy. This would likely increase pressure on Iran’s currency, reduce foreign currency reserves, and make it harder for the country to import goods or manage inflation.

The potential decision could also have broader economic impacts beyond Iran. Economic instability in the region can influence global energy markets, especially because the Middle East plays an important role in oil production and transportation. If tensions escalate further, disruptions near important shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz could push oil prices higher. This would affect inflation and economic stability worldwide. Overall, the UAE’s consideration of freezing Iranian assets highlights how financial measures have become an important tool in modern conflicts, where economic pressure could be used to influence political outcomes.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/06/uae-mulls-freezing-iranian-assets-as-middle-east-conflict-escalates-wsj-.html

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, stoking labor market worries

The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that U.S economy lost 92,000 jobs in February. This comes as a shock as January had a gain of 126,000 jobs and forecasts were shown have an additional increase of 50,000 jobs and unemployment to stay at 4.3%. The unemployment rate has gone up to 4.4%. Numbers from December and January were updated and came with some contractions. January stellar payrolls figure went from 130,000 to 126,000 and December's figure of 50,000 jobs added was updated to a contraction of 17,000 jobs. With those adjustments, 2025 is the first year to have five months of contractions in the labor market since 2010. Furthermore, the labor force participation rate has fallen from 62.5% to 62%.

These numbers are quite surprising as experts have been stating that our labor market is slowing growing again and hiring is coming back. Of course, one bad month won't dictate what the rest of the year will look like but it's still very surprising and the markets are reacting to this shock. There have been a few issues in fixing the economy like Trump's tariffs and government shutdowns that haven't helped speed up the process. The labor market hasn't been doing well for a while with there being various layoffs and less labor force participation. With the current conflict with Iran, the report for the labor force and overall economy in March is going to look interesting.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/2026-labor-market-set-begin-taking-shape-february-jobs-report-rcna261994

Gas Prices, Energy Supply, and Why a Few Dollars per Barrel Can Move the Whole Economy

Most of the recent coverage has centered around the geopolitical risks that could boost prices, even if the increase is “only” several dollars per barrel. That’s important from a macro standpoint because one of the first areas that gets reflected in the economy is the price of gasoline. If the price of oil increases, that’s effectively a tax increase for the end consumer, which means that their discretionary spending power is reduced.

The inflation aspect is what makes this particularly important for the markets. If the price of oil increases, that means that inflation could accelerate, which means that interest rates could remain high for longer than people expect. Even if core inflation is calm, the price of oil can have an impact on the service sector through distribution. The takeaway here is that an increase in the price of oil can have the effect of slowing down the economy, which is particularly concerning because that’s the type of environment that makes monetary policy particularly tricky. 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/oil-experts-predict-slight-rise-gas-prices-global-tensions-mount

Banking, payments services disrupted after Amazon UAE data centers hit in drone strikes

 Drone strikes on the Amazon Web Services data centers in the United Arab Emirates have caused a widespread outage across the apps, banking services, and financial platforms. AWS reported that two facilities in UAE and one in Bahrain were damaged from the events, leading to power disruptions that forced systems offline. Several companies that rely on AWS infrastructure have experienced service interruptions, including payment platforms Alaan and Hubby, and banks such as the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. 

The strike comes amid escalating tensions following the United States and Israeli attacks on Iran over the weekend. These events triggered retaliatory actions across the Middle East. While AWS continues to push for recovery efforts, the incident highlights how geopolitical conflict can disrupt digital infrastructure and services worldwide. 

Inflation Fears Rise as Manufacturing Costs Spike in February

In early March, data showed a surprising jump in manufacturing prices in the United States, raising concerns about inflation staying higher than expected. According to the February report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the Prices Paid Index—a key measure of how much manufacturers are paying for raw materials—surged to a reading of 70.5, far above January’s level and economist forecasts. This indicates that factories are seeing significantly higher input costs, which can eventually trickle down to consumer prices and push inflation up. At the same time, the overall manufacturing sector still showed modest growth, but the rapidly rising costs have sparked uncertainty in markets and among policymakers. If inflation remains strong, the Federal Reserve might feel pressure to keep interest rates higher for longer, which could slow other parts of the economy like housing or investment.

https://markets.chroniclejournal.com/chroniclejournal/article/marketminute-2026-3-2-inflation-alarm-ism-manufacturing-prices-index-surges-to-705-as-tariffs-bite-into-second-month-of-growth

Is AI Really Boosting Overall Productivity in The Economy?

    Artificial intelligence is often talked about as the next big thing that will boost the U.S. economy. Productivity simply means how much workers produce per hour, and it is one of the main reasons wages and living standards rise over time. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows productivity has improved in the past year, but the increases have not been steady. While some companies are clearly using AI to work faster and cut costs, there is not yet clear proof that AI has permanently raised productivity across the whole economy.

If AI truly improves productivity in a lasting way, the economy could grow faster without causing inflation, which would be a major benefit. Groups like the International Monetary Fund and the McKinsey Global Institute say AI has the potential to increase output over time, but they also explain that big technological changes usually take years to fully show up in national data. For now, AI looks promising, but the large, long term productivity boom many investors expect has not clearly appeared in the numbers yet.

Sources:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Labor Productivity and Costs
https://www.bls.gov/lpc/

McKinsey Global Institute – The Economic Potential of Generative AI
https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai-the-next-productivity-frontier

Iran Closes the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending shockwaves across global energy markets. Many countries will be affected, but the most pain will be felt in Asian countries. The strait is vital for oil trade, with roughly 13 million barrels per day passing through it in 2025. Oil prices have already significantly increased, and this development could make matters worse. Some specific countries that will be affected are China, Japan, South Korea, and other countries in Southeast Asia. It's the expectation that they'll see inflation first, and shortages second. However, China has a good amount of reserves to weather the storm for a while, but the uncertainty around this circumstance could cause economic hardship for any country caught in the crossfire of this war.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/strait-of-hormuz-closure-which-countries-will-be-hit-the-most.html 

Core whole sales prices increases by 0.8%, much more than expected.

       In January, there was hopes that the inflation would ease, however that was not the case. The PPI adjusted to a 0.8% after a gain of 0.6% in December. The headline PPI rose 0.5%, going above the forecast of 0.3% than in the prior month. During 2025, wholesale prices increases to 3.6%, which is beyond the Federal reserves 2% inflation goals. This tells us that inflation is still a factor in our economy. With regards to service prices, this is the main factor that drove the increase of wholesale prices, an 0.8% monthly rise was the highest since July of 2025. Goods fell by 0.3%, but core goods rose to 0.7%. 

        President Donald Trump believes inflation has been controlled. The pressures indicated by the PPI will cause the Fed to become cautious while weighing the pending moves on interest rates. Until the summer, the Fed will stay on the sidelines as expected by the market, though Trump has pushed for lower rates. However, economists are worried that Trump's tariffs will push for higher inflation, but is expected to be temporary by the Fed officials. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/27/ppi-january-2026-.html

Difficult Month for Amazon: Geopolitical Risk Meets Market Uncertainty

In two recent articles, we can see how the effects of uncertainty in the global economy has impacted Amazon. According to CNBC, Amazon has confirmed that drone strikes have damaged three Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities in the UAE and Bahrain. Around a similar time, TipRanks reported that Amazon stock experienced its worst month since 2022. While these stories may seem separate, they both highlight the risk and uncertainties that large global companies are facing.

The CNBC article explains that these drone strikes impacted data centers in the Middle East that support cloud services in the region. AWS is one of Amazon’s most profitable streams of revenue and plays a huge role in powering businesses that rely on the cloud. Though the majority of updates from war in the Middle East regard oil concerns, the digital infrastructure is also being affected. With the world's economy becoming increasingly dependent on technology and data centers, disruptions to cloud services can have rippling effects across a multitude of industries.

Putting aside the damages of facilities in the Middle East, Amazon’s stock has struggled. According to TipRanks, investors are reacting with caution as Amazon increases their spending on AI and data center expansions. While they are investing into growth, it isn’t certain that these expansions will be sustainable. Having a period of aggressive expansion combined with geopolitical instability could explain why markets are acting nervous. That being said, Amazon is a fundamentally strong company so these issues should only affect them in the short-run.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/02/amazon-says-drone-strikes-damaged-3-facilities-in-uae-and-bahrain.html
https://www.tipranks.com/news/amazon-stock-amzn-sees-its-worst-month-since-2022#google_vignette

What war with Iran means for prices and interest rates

 Last week military actions occurred in the Middle East. U.S. and allied carried out strikes in Iran. This ended up triggering reactions to interest rates and prices. Oil prices shot up and global stocks fell immediately. Economist say these actions won't affect the Federal reserve's upcoming interest rate decisions. Iran's supreme leader was killed in these attacks leading to a chain of events that affect more than just Iran. There has been a large backup of traffic in Iran, it is expected to lead to higher prices in gas for American consumers. It is said to been too early to really know what is going on. There shouldn't be a panic for gas but there not sure yet. Donald Trump said that this last for about 4-5 weeks. 

If the war does end up lasting a period of time American consumers may see skyrocketing energy costs that could push the U.S. economy towards stagflation. Stagflation occurs when inflation is high, slow or negative economic growth, and rising unemployment. This combination is very dangerous for the economy because the policy tools for inflation can worsen unemployment, and policies to reduce unemployment. The U.S. remains strong right now but there are warning signs that are occurring. Oil prices are rising; inflation is higher than the target. Higher gas prices could raise the cost of materials; this would lead to companies having to cut down on materials leading to missing out on more customers. These attacks have multiple impacts that go past military and physical attacks. It effects the economy in so many ways that are often looked past. All of these events have chain reactions that can affect everything.

How does war with Iran affect prices, interest rates, supply chains?

Inflation Progress Could Be Undone by The Middle East Conflict

 Recent comments from President Donald Trump declaring inflation “tamed” have been overshadowed by fresh concerns in global markets as tensions in the Middle East threaten to push prices higher once again. While U.S. inflation has eased from its recent peaks, conflict involving Iran is now spiking oil prices, raising the risk of renewed price pressures for consumers and complicating the Federal Reserve’s path forward. 

Economists caution that even if the immediate impact on U.S. inflation remains modest, sustained geopolitical instability could create “stagflationary” pressures, a combination of slowing growth and rising prices. That would make it harder for the Federal Reserve to justify cutting interest rates later this year, even as policymakers continue to watch inflation trends.

For consumers, the brewing crisis serves as a reminder that global events, particularly those tied to energy production and transport, still have a direct line to prices at the pump and on store shelves. What looks like progress on inflation one week can be threatened by geopolitical volatility the next.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/02/as-trump-declares-inflation-tamed-iran-conflict-threatens-new-price-pressures.html

A Nine Nation War

The war between the U.S. and Iran has turned into a nine nation war. A conflict that began with a single strike has now pulled in the entire region, which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait. Also Western allies like the UK. Even the countries that are neutral are finding it impossible as drones and missiles cross into their airspace daily. Even more chaos when Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot down three U.S. fighter jets because of radar confusion during a Iranian missile barrage.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/war-in-middle-east-widens-as-israeli-and-u-s-planes-pound-iran-and-tehran-and-its-proxies-hit-back 

Private Credit Fund Underperformance Suggests Potential Stock Market Volatility

Markets have had substantial concerns about the stability and security of private credit funds in recent months. 

Private credit funds are non-bank lenders that lend directly to companies, promising high rates of return to their investors and flexibility for their borrowers. 

Following several major private credit loans that have recently gone into default, markets have begun to question whether private credit firms are wisely allocating their capital. Details on private credit loans are often opaque, and if private credit firms begin experiencing extreme credit losses, their troubles can flow up to banks, as they often borrow from banks themselves, which can destabilize the larger financial system.

The State Street SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF is currently down 4% YTD and is considered a bellwether for the overall performance of the stock market, because the fund has broad exposure to loans across many industries, company sizes, and investment grades, and if its borrowers underperform, the effect will trickle out to the rest of the economy, as described before. The fund often drops below its 200-day moving average before major corrections of the S&P500, and is currently trading 4.87% below the moving average, suggesting potential volatility in the wider stock market in the coming weeks.

Source: https://www.barrons.com/articles/private-credit-stocks-senior-loan-etf-27d5eee5?siteid=yhoof2 

Top earners are more afraid for their employment because of AI

In late February 2026, a new trend emerged in the U.S. labor market: higher-income workers are now expressing more fear about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence than lower-income workers, reversing the traditional employment anxiety patterns. According to recent surveys, confidence in the labor market among top earners has fallen to levels that have not seen since the late 1970s, with many pointing out the rise of AI as a key factor. 

Data from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers shows that sentiment about future job prospects has deteriorated most sharply among the top third of earners, while lower-income workers reported relatively higher labor confidence. Similarly, the New York Federal Reserve’s monthly survey indicates that expectations of finding new employment within three months if displaced are near record lows for higher-income workers. 

Additionally, payroll processing firm ADP reports that turnover rates in traditionally white-collar occupations have plummeted to historic lows, suggesting that many higher-income professionals are choosing to stay in their current roles amid fears of AI-driven disruption. Despite these concerns, unemployment remains relatively low in high-skill sectors such as finance, indicating that the job market is still strong even as anxiety rises. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/25/top-earners-are-more-afraid-for-their-employment-than-lower-income-as-ai-threat-increases.html

How the Iran War Is Affecting the World Economy

 

How the Iran War Is Affecting the World Economy

The recent war involving Iran has already started to affect the global economy in big ways. One of the biggest impacts is on oil prices. Because Iran and other countries in the Middle East produce a lot of oil, fighting there makes traders nervous and pushes prices up. Right now, oil has jumped almost 8–10% and could go even higher if shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz get blocked longer. Higher oil prices make everything that uses fuel more expensive, which can cause inflation in many countries. 

Stock markets have also dropped because investors are worried about the future. When war scares people, they often sell stocks and buy “safe” things like gold. This kind of volatility can slow economic growth because companies and consumers spend less when they’re uncertain. 

Inside Iran, the economy was already struggling before this war from sanctions and inflation, and now conflict just makes it worse by disrupting trade and energy sales. That could mean slower growth and tougher living conditions for regular people. 

Overall, the war is showing how connected today’s world economy is, a conflict in one region affects prices, markets, and growth almost everywhere.

Sources: The Guardian, Bloomberg, ing.com

Jamie Dimon says AI euphoria, record stocks and banks doing 'dumb things' could lead to another financial crisis.

 Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, says that with our current financial situation and banks doing "dumb things" like taking on risky loans that could put the US in a similar market situation to how it was before the financial crisis of 2008. He said to investors that the conditions of the market, including the record levels, could be a cause for concern. He sights that he saw this same trend from 2005-2007, where everyone was making a lot of money and the sky was the limit just for it to crash back down. Dimon says that the recent concerns among investors about AI disrupting the software sector is a typical disruption in the past financial markets. He cited some previous "stable bets" such as newspapers and utility/phone companies that developed some problems, and said that this time it may be the software sector due to AI causing the industry to be challenged. 

https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/economy/jamie-dimon-warning 

Greenland’s Hidden Wealth: Treasure or Myth?

In an episode of The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR, hosts Darian Woods and Wailin Wong explore whether Greenland is truly an untapped land of riches by telling the story of geologist Greg Barnes, who discovered a large rare-earth mineral deposit that could help countries like the United States reduce reliance on China for critical materials used in technology and clean energy; this strategic importance even sparked political interest, including talk from Donald Trump about acquiring Greenland. However, the podcast explains that valuable minerals underground don’t automatically mean easy profits, because Greenland faces huge obstacles like extreme weather, limited roads and energy, environmental risks, and local opposition to mining projects, all of which make extraction expensive and slow. While Barnes’s project may eventually produce rare earth elements, experts say Greenland’s geology alone doesn’t guarantee economic success, showing that the idea of Greenland as a simple treasure trove is more myth than reality.

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5683139

Are big companies staying private too long, and does that matter for the macroeconomy?

Are big companies staying private too long, and how does that affect the macroeconomy?

The question of whether firms are “staying private too long” goes beyond corporate governance, it is dependent on where capital formation occurs, who captures the returns, and how those choices shape the level and volatility of national income over the business cycle.

Typically, firms grow, then go public to raise capital, diversify ownership, and fund investment. Public equity markets are where household savings meet firm investment, and movements in those markets feed directly into national income, productivity, and the business cycle.

In practice, a growing share of this process now happens in private markets. Large, mature firms can raise substantial amounts of capital without listing. They rely on private equity, venture capital, sovereign wealth funds, and private credit. As a result, more capital formation and value creation occurs before any IPO, in venues that are less transparent and accessible to typical households.

This has three important macro channels.

The first is capital formation. Access to deep private capital allows firms to invest in long horizon projects with less pressure to meet quarterly earnings targets. Disclosure requirements are lighter and financing terms are more flexible, which can support higher and more patient investment in both physical and intangible capital. At the aggregate level, this can raise investment and the capital stock and support higher trend output. The open question is whether the opacity of private markets leads to efficient allocation of this capital or to misallocation that does not show up until later in the cycle.

The second channel is distributional. Participation in private markets is concentrated among institutions and high net worth investors. When the highest growth phase of a firm’s life happens while it is still private, most of the capital gains accrue to a relatively narrow segment of the population. By the time the firm reaches public markets, much of the explosive upside may already be realized. This reinforces wealth and income inequality and changes the path of aggregate consumption, since high wealth households have lower marginal propensities to consume and different portfolio choices than the median household.

The third channel is business cycle dynamics. Private capital can stabilize or amplify shocks. In expansions, abundant private funding can smooth temporary earnings declines and maintain investment when public markets might react sharply. In downturns, the same illiquidity and opacity can become a liability. A synchronized pullback by private investors can trigger a rapid contraction in funding for investment that is not immediately visible in public prices but still transmits to output, employment, and measured GDP.

Are Jack Dorsey’s aggressive job cuts the start of an AI jobs apocalypse? Economists weigh in (CNBC)

 A recent Are Jack Dorsey’s aggressive job cuts the start of an AI jobs apocalypse? Economists weigh in (CNBC)-themed discussion has reignited a broader debate about how artificial intelligence is reshaping work in the tech world. At the center of it is Block Inc., the fintech company led by CEO Jack Dorsey, which announced cuts of roughly 4,000 positions  almost half its workforce as part of a shift toward AI-driven operations rather than financial distress. Dorsey framed this move as proactive adaptation to a future where “intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” a message echoed in the strong market reaction, with Block’s shares jumping sharply on the news.

Economists and industry observers are split on what this means for the broader job market. Some see Dorsey’s decision as one of the first high-profile instances of a major company explicitly attributing layoffs to AI efficiencies a potential harbinger of wider structural shifts in employment. Others caution that such rhetoric can sometimes mask traditional cost-cutting, or that technology historically both displaces and creates jobs in new areas. What’s clear is that the conversation about AI’s long-term impact on jobs whether it signals a looming “jobs apocalypse” or a transformative transition is only getting louder.

Venezuela’s Capital, Laid Low by Misrule, Is Stirring Back to Life

 It is heartbreaking to see how Caracas continues to struggle with such extreme economic inequality. While some areas show signs of recovery through dollarization, the reality for most people is still a constant battle against inflation and basic costs. It’s a stark reminder of how much global politics and shifting sanctions directly impact the daily lives of families just trying to get by.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/world/americas/caracas-venezuela-economy.html

What will happen to gas prices with the strike on Iran

 Gas prices rising in recent days show how closely global energy markets are tied to politics around the world. Especially after President Trump decided to launch military strikes against Iran. According to reporting by USA Today, the attacks have increased uncertainty in oil markets, and investors fear potential disruptions in the Middle East. The Middle East is crucial to the global Oil supply and shipping routes. Even without an immediate interruption, the higher risk alone has pushed crude oil prices upward, and those increases tend to flow directly to consumers, resulting in higher gas prices. As a result of the bombings, Americans may end up seeing an increase in gas prices in the coming weeks. 

Will US attacks on Iran drive up gas prices? Here's what we know.