WS #11576

The dominant signal in this window is the resumption of Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple sources (Axios, UKMTO, GDELT, and various news outlets) reporting that Iran fired missiles at oil tankers, causing fires and significant damage. This directly counters the prevailing de-escalation narrative following the US-Iran MoU and threatens to reverse the recent oil price decline, benefiting energy stocks (XOM, CVX) while hurting airlines (DAL, UAL) and consumer sectors. The attack is corroborated by at least five independent sources, marking it as high-significance. Separately, Microsoft's layoff of 4,800 employees (including 3,200 in Xbox) and Samsung's record profit (19-fold jump) triggering a tech selloff in Asia (KOSPI down 4-6%, Nikkei down 1.35%) are notable but secondary signals. The Strait of Hormuz attack is the most actionable development, as it could reignite the oil risk premium and shift market focus from tech to energy and defense.