S&P 500 Bear Market Warning

Key Points

  • Brent crude futures (May’26) rose to $112 per barrel.
  • 10-year Treasury yields jumped to 4.39%.
  • The S&P 500 broke primary support at 6550.

The war in Iran is in danger of escalating, sending the global economy into recession.

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against ​Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter.

The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into ‌its third week.

Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the Strait could also mean deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline, said four sources, including two U.S. officials.

Reuters granted the sources anonymity to speak about military planning.

The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three U.S. ​officials said. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones.

News of preparations for a ground war spooked financial markets.

CBS News said “heavy preparations” were being made for sending ground troops to Iran, citing multiple sources….

“If this is an escalation involving troops on the ground, then we’re probably in for at least a couple more weeks of this sort of market of higher oil prices, high gas prices; you’re hanging on every headline about energy infrastructure in the region,” Baird investment strategist Ross Mayfield said to CNBC. “Quite frankly, equity markets haven’t sold off in a way that would reflect this sort of event yet, so there could still be some some downside ahead.” (CNBC)

Brent crude futures (ICE May’26) climbed above $112 per barrel by the close of the week.

Brent Crude

Ten-year Treasury yields spiked up 4.39%. The breakout above the 4.3% resistance level indicates another test of the 2023 high at 5.0%.

10-Year Treasury Yield

The S&P 500 broke primary support at 6550, warning of a bear market.

S&P 500

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is testing primary support at 45,500. A breach of the support level would confirm the S&P 500 bear market signal.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The Roundhill Magnificent 7 ETF (MAGS) has already broken support at 60, confirming a primary downtrend in the seven mega-cap technology stocks that led the bull market advance.

Roundhill Magnificent 7 ETF (MAGS)

The Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index jumped to -0.486, the uptick above its preceding peak warning of a contraction in financial market liquidity.

Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index

The downtrend in Bitcoin1 has warned of a financial market contraction since late last year.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Conclusion

Prepare for a bear market. The Dow will likely break support at 45,500 next week, confirming the S&P 500 bear signal.

Acknowledgments

Notes

  1. Cryptocurrencies are the highest-risk asset class, and we analyze Bitcoin (BTC) solely to identify risk sentiment in financial markets. Our analysis is not a recommendation to buy or sell BTC, nor is it a commentary on the merits of cryptocurrency.

Crude Oil Spikes But Gold Falls

Key Points

  • Iranian missiles damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG export facility.
  • Brent crude futures spiked to $115 per barrel.
  • The Fed kept the fed funds target rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%.
  • Gold is testing support at $4,800 per barrel.

From CNBC:

Qatar said Wednesday that Iranian missiles caused “extensive damage” at Ras Laffan Industrial City, home to the largest liquefied natural gas, or LNG, export facility in the world….

Qatar halted LNG production on March 2 due to Iranian drone strikes at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Industrial City. The Gulf state is the second-largest LNG exporter in the world, after the US Qatar accounts for nearly 20% of global LNG exports, according to data from energy consulting firm Kpler.

Iran is also attacking oil export facilities outside the Persian Gulf to further restrict global energy supply. From Reuters yesterday:

Omani ​crude – exported from a terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz – is trading at a record premium of $51 a barrel to Brent, compared with an average of just 75 cents in February, pushing the outright price to around $150 a barrel for May ​loading.

A similar pattern is playing out elsewhere. Cash premiums for Dubai crude jumped to $56 a barrel on Monday from an average of 90 cents in February, according to data from S&P Global Platts and Reuters.

The surge reflects the enormous uncertainty over the actual amount of supply available amid repeated Iranian strikes on oil terminals in Oman and at Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates’ main oil-exporting terminal outside Hormuz.

Brent crude futures (ICE May’26) climbed to $115 per barrel.

Brent Crude Futures

Fed Monetary Policy

Meet the new head of monetary policy at the Fed.

Iran's Supreme Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei

Spoiler alert: it’s not Kevin Warsh. Iranian cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei, recently appointed supreme leader of the Islamic state, now dictates global monetary policy.

Iran’s chokehold over Gulf states crude oil and LNG production will dominate global employment, inflation, and liquidity for the foreseeable future.

The Fed was on track for further rate cuts, with financial markets expecting three cuts by year-end as the economy slowed and the labor market shed 92,000 jobs in February.

Employment Growth

However, the attack on Iran has flipped the script. Rising crude oil prices are expected to increase inflationary pressure and restrict the Fed’s ability to cut rates.

Core PCE inflation, the Fed’s preferred measure of underlying inflation, had already increased to 3.1% for the 12 months to January 2026, from 2.6% in April 2025.

PCE & Core PCE

Rising energy prices (LHS) will likely cause a spike in CPI (RHS) similar to the increase in 2021 and ’22.

CPI & CPI Energy

Moody’s Baa corporate bond spread climbed to 1.85% on March 17, warning of tighter liquidity in financial markets.

Moody's Baa Corporate Bond Spread

The S&P 500 retreated to 6,625 following news of renewed Iranian attacks. We expect a test of primary support at 6550.

S&P 500

Copper broke support at $12,500 per tonne, anticipating a contraction in demand as the global economy slows.

Copper

Gold broke support at $5,000 per ounce, finding short-term support at $4,800. Axel Merk attributes the recent sell-off to “deleveraging among speculators, global growth headwinds, and an oversold condition in some markets after a very strong January run-up.”

Spot Gold

However, there was a similar sell-off in March 2020 (below), shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A liquidity contraction and the rebalancing of risk-parity funds caused a sell-off across all major asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and precious metals. Gold recovered in April, rallying to $2,050 per ounce by August 2020.

Spot Gold

Gulf states could also be liquidating reserves to support their economies while oil exports are restricted.

The monthly chart below shows the long-term uptrend since March 2024, when gold broke out above resistance at $2,000. We are now witnessing a pull-back to test primary support at $4,500. Respect of support will likely signal another strong advance.

Spot Gold

Conclusion

The Fed is powerless to fight inflation caused by the Iranian chokehold over global energy supplies. They are also constrained in their ability to use monetary policy to support a weak labor market because of the looming threat of inflation.

Our bullish thesis for gold remains. Precarious sovereign debt levels limit governments’ ability to support their economies without fueling inflation. Political leaders are also reluctant to adopt more restrictive fiscal policy because of the impact on their economies. The outcome will likely be prolonged currency debasement through inflation, with gold bullion eventually replacing US Treasuries as the global reserve asset.

Acknowledgments

The Escalation Trap | Prof. Robert Pape

“We don’t have a strategy to win.”

Air power expert, Professor Robert Pape (University of Chicago), says air power campaigns don’t effect regime change.

He warns of the “smart bomb illusion,” where precision targeting gives the illusion of control over escalation. We are distracted by the success of precision air strikes, but they cause escalation, and we don’t see the long war coming.

Acknowledgement

Australia Braces for Oil Shortages

Key Points

  • Australia has roughly one month of emergency reserves of petrol, diesel, and gasoline.
  • Iranian attacks will likely lead to supply shortages and steep price hikes in food, commodities, and air travel.

Brent crude futures (May ’26) are testing resistance at $85 per barrel. A breakout will likely offer a short-term target of $90.

Brent Crude

March 5 (Reuters) – More tankers came under attack in Gulf waters on Thursday as the U.S.–Iran war escalated, and Iranian drones entered ​Azerbaijan, threatening to spread the crisis to more oil producers in the region.

A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian ‌remote-controlled boat laden with explosives while anchored near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port, according to initial assessments. A second tanker at anchor off Kuwait was taking on water and spilling oil after a large explosion on its port side.

Nine vessels have come under attack since the conflict broke out between the U.S., Israel and Iran on Saturday. Iran ​launched a wave of missiles at Israel early on Thursday and also sent drones into Azerbaijan, injuring four people.

….Around 200 ships, including oil and liquefied natural ​gas tankers as well as cargo ships, remained at anchor in open waters off the coast of major Gulf producers, according to Reuters estimates based ​on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.

Hundreds of other vessels remained outside the Strait of Hormuz unable to reach ports, shipping data showed.

Australian ​Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Tuesday that Australia has 36 days of petrol, 34 days of diesel, and 32 days of jet fuel in reserve. While Bowen stressed this was the highest level in more than a decade, it’s far below the International Energy Agency recommendation of 90 days.

Compare that to Japan, which is similarly reliant on crude oil from the Middle East and holds emergency oil reserves equivalent to 254 days of consumption. (Reuters)

Ongoing shortages caused by even partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to fuel rationing in Australia.

Major industries that are heavily reliant on diesel fuel include long-haul road transport, agriculture, and mining. Iron ore operations in the Pilbara region, a major earner of export revenue, alone consume hundreds of millions of liters of diesel each year. (Reuters)

The aviation industry is also vulnerable to fuel shortages. Jet fuel prices in Asia’s ​trading hub Singapore climbed to $225.44 a barrel on Wednesday, a record high.

The spot price of jet kerosene has now gained 140% since the close of $93.45 a barrel on February 27, the day before the United States and Israel launched an aerial bombing campaign against Iran.

The problem is that much of the oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz is medium-sour crude, a grade prized for its higher yield of middle distillates such as jet kerosene and diesel.

Even if refiners can source alternative crudes from Africa or South America, these grades tend to be lighter and yield more light distillates such as gasoline and naphtha. (Reuters)

The Dow Jones Global Oil & Gas Index has climbed 20% since mid-January.

Dow Jones Global Oil & Gas Index

Conclusion

Japan and China have large emergency stockpiles of crude and LNG and can probably survive several months of supply interruptions.

India, Australia, and Europe do not have that luxury and will likely suffer from a steep spike in prices and possible fuel rationing if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

In Australia, we expect food prices to jump if the price of diesel, used in agriculture and long-haul freight, rises. Mining costs will also likely rise due to diesel shortages, driving up the cost of materials.

Global aviation is also vulnerable because of the steep rise in jet fuel prices.

Acknowledgments

Iran: What Comes Next?

Key Points

  • Combined air strikes on Iran by the US and Israel make good media coverage but are unlikely to lead to regime change.
  • An Iranian strategy that prolongs the conflict while increasing the cost to the US and its allies has the potential to frustrate US ambitions.
  • Rising crude oil prices and increased US deficits will likely fuel a sharp increase in inflation.

President Trump succeeded in diverting media attention from his troubles at home, with attention-grabbing headlines about Operation “Epic Fury” in Iran. But does he have a clear end goal? He claims the Iranians have requested talks, but they deny it. So what happens if the Iranians are unwilling to give Trump his media victory?

Predictions of a “short war” typically underestimate the opponent and the unpredictability of war.

Many things in war are unpredictable, but some are self-evident:

  • Israel does not have the manpower to wage a full-scale war against Iran.
  • The US public does not have the stomach for a large war, and US leaders want to avoid putting “boots on the ground” at all costs.
  • US allies in the Middle East are equipped with modern air defense systems that can protect them from most missile and drone attacks, but they don’t have the stockpiles of weapons to endure a sustained barrage over several months.
  • Oil tankers carry 21 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz every day. Four ships have already been damaged. Closing the Straits would halt the flow of 20% of global oil production, causing a massive supply shortage and spike in oil prices.

Crude Oil Flows Through the Strait of Hormuz

Brent crude prices shot to above $80 per barrel on Monday.

Brent Crude

Robin Brooks compares the current price rise to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022:

Today’s post …. benchmarks the current shock versus Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Russia is a massive oil producer and – at the time – markets worried it would get shut out of the global economy. Yesterday’s spike in oil prices was more than three times as big as the rise on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. That’s a big shock no matter how you cut it.

Iranian officials say they have closed the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command says that is not the case. But tanker rates and insurance costs have skyrocketed.

Lloyds List highlights the steep rise in very large crude carrier (VLCC) rates:

BALTIC Exchange indexes for very large crude carriers loading in the Middle East Gulf reached record highs on Monday. Iranian attacks on tankers and insurers’ withdrawal of war risk cover have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Spot rate strength in the MEG has cascaded through global freight prices, leading to a surge in rates for VLCCs and other tanker segments worldwide.

The Baltic Exchange’s MEG-China TD3C index went parabolic after the outbreak of war, coming in at a record $423,736 per day on Monday, up 94% from Friday.

Crude Oil Tanker Rates

Global Impact

China gets about 45% of its crude oil needs from the Middle East, with 11% from Iran.

Global Oil Trade

  • Russia, as a large oil exporter, would benefit from a spike in crude oil prices. So would Canada and African exporters like Angola.
  • Large oil importers — China, India, Japan, the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe — would all suffer from a steep rise in crude oil prices.
  • The US is a net oil importer. While less affected than other major importers, the US has experienced steep rises in inflation during past spikes in crude oil prices.

The 1973 Yom Kippur War and the Arab oil embargo caused a massive jump in crude oil prices, with CPI reaching 12.0% (red- RHS). The Iran-Iraq war in 1980 caused an even steeper spike in inflation, with CPI at nearly 15%.

WTI Crude & CPI

During the 1990 Gulf War, CPI rose above 6.0%. However, during the 2003 Iraq War, deflationary forces— from the collapse of the Dotcom bubble and China’s entry into the WTO — helped offset inflationary pressures from higher crude oil prices.

WTI Crude & CPI

Crude oil prices had already spiked in 2021, but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 lifted annual CPI to 9.0%.

WTI Crude & CPI

US Deficits

The US federal debt is at a precarious 122% of GDP, and budget deficits remain stubbornly high. The US does not have much spare capacity to wage an extensive or protracted war without generating high inflation.

Federal Debt to Nominal GDP (%)

Conclusion

China’s dependence on crude oil imports is its Achilles heel. The country imports 11 million barrels of crude oil per day, and much of that flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Chinese leaders will be watching the US-Iran conflict with alarm. US control of the Strait of Hormuz would have China at its mercy. China’s blue-water navy is decades away from being able to challenge US naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean. The only effective way for them to intervene in the current conflict would be to supply Iran with advanced weapons that can challenge US naval dominance.

The Iranians have been battered by air strikes before. They know that a full-scale US invasion is unlikely, and that nothing short of that will likely remove them from power. Their best strategy is patience. They can afford to wait the Americans out. Increase the cost of the war and frustrate US efforts to achieve a decisive outcome. Another protracted conflict in the Middle East, with sky-high oil prices causing a steep rise in inflation, will soon sour US public opinion and lead to yet another retreat.

A protracted conflict in the Middle East would also increase US fiscal deficits. Inflation will likely rise, fueled by increased government spending and rising crude oil prices. Higher inflation and further increases in government debt would increase term premia on long-dated Treasuries. High long-term interest rates would raise the cost of servicing government debt and further increase the deficit.

Attempts by the Fed to suppress long-term interest rates, through QE or other means, would further fuel inflation.

Our strategy is to remain heavily overweight in gold and defensive stocks with stable income streams, and underweight long-term financial assets and high-multiple growth stocks.

Acknowledgments

US-Iran Update

From Vali Nasr, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History:

The US appears poised to launch a major military attack on Iran. The last round of talks between the two countries was an opportunity for Iran to avert war but Tehran offered little to Washington. That is not because Iran’s rulers are too obdurate and caught up in their old ways of thinking. Rather they are putting little stock in diplomacy and increasingly see war as inevitable. They see talks more as a trap than a solution and seem to view an unavoidable war as more cathartic than a weak deal. They are focused on how to manage it — and even use it to their advantage.(FT.com)

From Linus Höller at Defense News:

BERLIN — Bulgaria’s Sofia International Airport briefly suspended civilian air operations twice over the weekend while a fleet of American military aircraft staged at the facility, fueling speculation that Washington is positioning forces ahead of a potential strike on Iran.

Photographs circulating on social media showed at least six KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft from the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, along with C-17 and C-130 cargo planes and Boeing 747s typically used for troop transport, parked at the airport’s Terminal 1, according to Obektivno.BG.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the U.S. Air Force presence, describing the deployment as support for “training related to NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities,” …..

Bulgarian investigative journalists have tracked more than 120 U.S. Air Force aircraft that crossed the Atlantic within days, including four dozen F-16s, three squadrons of F-35A stealth fighters, and 12 F-22 Raptors.

Similar deployments, including F-22s staged at RAF Lakenheath, preceded last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel strikes first

Summary

  • Israel struck nuclear facilities and military command structures in Iran
  • The government declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory attacks from Iran
  • US Secretary of State Rubio indicated that the US had been notified but was not involved in the strikes
  • Iran had earlier threatened to attack US bases in the Middle East in response to any attack

Israeli Premier & F35 Fighter Jet

Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu with F35 Fighter Jet

Israel launched dozens of air strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, senior military commanders, and nuclear scientists on Friday, warning that this would be a prolonged operation. (FT & Reuters)

The strikes come after an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution on Thursday declared Iran in noncompliance with its nuclear safeguards obligations for the first time in nearly 20 years….Iran’s uranium enrichment has reached 60% purity — a dramatically higher level that is a short technical step from the weapons-grade purity level of 90%. “A country enriching at 60% is a very serious thing. Only countries making bombs are reaching this level,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in 2021. (CNBC)

Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh told reporters Wednesday that if nuclear talks fail and “a conflict is imposed on us,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “will target all U.S. bases in the host countries.”

A source familiar with the situation and a U.S. official told CBS News that the Trump administration was weighing options regarding how to support Israeli military action without leading it…
The source said the options are unlikely to include direct participation by U.S. B-2 bombers that carry the type of bombs that can penetrate Iran’s deep underground fortified uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow and Natanz. Without that type of strike, it is unlikely Israeli military action could destroy the underground portions of Iran’s program, and thus solo military action by Israel is presumed to be limited in its capability to fully eliminate the program. (CBS)

Conclusion

Israel won’t back down (I-W-B-D).

Israel faces an existential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran and will strike first in an attempt to eliminate the threat. The strikes may delay Iran’s uranium-enrichment program, but are unlikely to prevent the country’s leaders from pursuing their nuclear weapons goal.

The only way to eliminate the threat would be a full-scale invasion, which is likely beyond Israel’s capability. The US will offer support but is unlikely to become directly embroiled in the conflict unless attacked by Iran.

Oil prices are expected to spike due to supply concerns, while a flight to safety will likely boost gold demand.

Acknowledgments

Give War a Chance | Edward Luttwak

UN Peacekeepers in Bosnia

UN soldiers at a NATO base near Brcko, Bosnia, March 1998 | Juergen Schwarz, Reuters

This 1999 opinion in Foreign Affairs magazine, by Edward N. Luttwak, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is relevant to today’s conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza:

An unpleasant truth often overlooked is that although war is a great evil, it does have a great virtue: it can resolve political conflicts and lead to peace. This can happen when all belligerents become exhausted or when one wins decisively….

A cease-fire tends to arrest war-induced exhaustion and lets belligerents reconstitute and rearm their forces. It intensifies and prolongs the struggle once the cease-fire ends—and it does usually end….

Read more at Foreign Affairs

Markets move to Risk-Off

Bitcoin broke support at $64K, warning that financial markets are moving to risk-off . Traders and investors reduce their exposure to risk and focus on protecting their capital. Follow-through below $62K would confirm, warning of a sharp fall (in BTC) and a stock market correction.

Bitcoin

The 10-Year Treasury yield has climbed to 4.67%, confirming our target of 5.0%.

10-Year Treasury Yield

The Japanese Yen fell to 154 against the Dollar, increasing pressure on the Bank of Japan to loosen the cap on long-term JGB yields — to protect the Yen. The result of such a move would be an outflow of Japanese investors from the US Treasury market, increasing upward pressure on UST yields and downward pressure on the Dollar.

USDJPY

Fed Monetary Policy

From CNN:

The US economy’s enduring strength and a “lack of progress” on inflation means the central bank likely won’t cut interest rates at its upcoming policy meeting just two weeks away, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday.

“The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence” that inflation is headed toward the central bank’s 2% goal, Powell said during a moderated discussion hosted by the Wilson Center. Instead, he said, there are indications “that it is likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence.”

Stocks

The S&P 500 broke support at 5100, warning of a correction. Lower Trend Index peaks reflect selling pressure. Our target is 4950.

S&P 500

The Equal-Weighted Index ($IQX) continued its downward path after breaking support at 6650, presenting a target of 6250.

S&P 500 Equal-Weighted Index

US Consumers

Real retail sales ticked up in March to remain on trend.

Real Retail Sales

Light vehicle sales also remain reasonably strong, at 15.5 million units (annualized) in March.

Light Vehicle Sales

Gold & the Dollar

The Dollar Index climbed above 106, strengthened by safe haven demand and the appeal of higher long-term yields. Our target is the October 2023 high at 107.

Dollar Index

Gold is again testing resistance at our target of $2400 per ounce, currently at $2383. The Shanghai Gold Exchange continues to display a premium on its international gold contract (iAu99.99) at 558.3 Yuan which translates to $2399 per Troy ounce (31.10348 grams). The domestic contract trades at an even higher price of 569 per gram but is subject to capital controls. The price premium should ensure a constant inflow of physical gold from other exchanges to China for as long it is maintained.

Spot Gold

Silver retraced from resistance at $29 per ounce and is testing support at $28. The lower Trend Index peak warns of selling pressure. Breach of $28 would warn of a correction to $26. Breakout above $29 is less likely in the short-term but would signal a fresh advance, with a medium-term target of $34.

Spot Silver

Crude & Commodities

Brent crude is in a narrow consolidation (pennant) at $90 per barrel. Continuation is likely and would test resistance at $96 per barrel.
Brent Crude

Nymex crude has retraced to test short-term support at $85 per barrel. Respect is likely and would indicate an advance to our target at $90.
WTI Light Crude

Conclusion

Geopolitical risk dominates, with an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iran expected before the end of the month.

Rising crude oil prices are likely to increase inflationary pressure and the yield on long-term Treasuries, with the 10-year yield expected to test 5.0%.

Safe haven demand from investors is concentrated on Gold, with bond prices falling and stocks warning of a correction. We expect a short retracement to test support levels but respect is likely and would signal another advance.

Bitcoin is diverging from Gold as investors grow more risk averse. Breach of support at $62K would confirm a correction, with support expected at $52K.

Acknowledgements