WS #3440

The data dump reinforces escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with multiple sources corroborating an Iranian missile attack on a Saudi air base that wounded at least 10 U.S. troops, as reported by the Washington Post and other outlets. This development, combined with earlier reports of Iranian attacks and U.S. military movements, heightens risks of a broader regional conflict, likely driving oil price volatility and pressuring equities, particularly in energy and defense sectors. Concurrently, Ukrainian drone strikes on a Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, as reported via Telegram, add to supply chain disruptions, further tightening global crude markets and supporting energy stocks like EOG, which is noted to be reaching record highs amid surging oil prices. In corporate developments, significant antitrust scrutiny emerges with Democratic senators investigating NVIDIA's $20 billion Groq deal, potentially impacting NVDA and broader tech sentiment. Additionally, Amazon's acquisition of startup RIVR for last-mile robot delivery and its development of a new Alexa-linked mobile phone signal strategic moves in AI and logistics, while Meta's backtrack on shutting down the metaverse for Quest headsets and performance concerns with a new AI model introduce uncertainty for META. Other notable items include Apple cutting App Store commission fees in China to 25%, affecting AAPL, and Amazon shifting its annual Prime Day sale to June from July, which could influence consumer spending patterns and AMZN's stock.