WS #8297

The dominant narrative remains the Israel-Lebanon conflict (ESCALATING) with continued airstrikes and civilian casualties. However, a counter-signal is emerging: peace deal hopes are boosting Wall Street stocks despite latest US strikes, as reported by Channel NewsAsia. This suggests markets are pricing in a potential de-escalation, which could offset the bearish energy/index thesis. Separately, several company-specific developments carry market-moving potential: IREN signed a $1.6B deal with Dell to deploy Blackwell systems, with ARR seen rising to $4.4B (bullish for IREN, DELL, NVDA). Box raised FY2027 guidance, though below consensus EPS estimates. SpaceX won a $2B Space Force satellite contract and FTSE rules are set for fast index inclusion, supporting the SpaceX-Tesla merger speculation narrative. The Trump administration plans to repurpose plutonium from nuclear warheads for electricity generation, which could impact uranium/nuclear energy stocks. Multiple insider transactions at Home Depot (HD) and a large dark pool order of $299.99M in HD suggest significant institutional activity. The Iran nuclear deal and Strait of Hormuz traffic remain key geopolitical watchpoints, with Polymarket contracts showing active trading on these outcomes.