Operation Epic Fury - Iran Conflict Updates & Market Volatility: The Weekly Sift Stack - 3.2.2026 (Issue 16)

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Index Tracker Year-To-Date Performance 3.4.2026 Market Close:

• S&P 500 TR: 0.34% - Price: 6,869.50

• NASDAQ TR: (1.77)% - Price: 22,807.48

• Russell 2000 TR: 5.25% - Price: 2,636.01

• MSCI International EAFE TR: 3.75% - Price: 11,002.36

• Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index TR: 1.22% - Price: 2,377.49

• 10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.098%

• 30-year Mortgage Rate: 5.98%

• Gold: 18.67% - Price: $5,151.60 per oz.

• Bitcoin: (16.20)% - Price: $73,278.58

• U.S. Dollar Index: 0.55% - Price: 98.82

• Crude Oil: 32.55% - Price: $76.11 per barrel

• Core Inflation 1.31.2026:

  • Year Over Year: 2.5%

  • Month Over Month: 0.3%

• Consumer Price Index 1.31.2026

  • Year Over Year: 2.4%

  • Month Over Month: 0.2%

Index Tracker Notes:

The price of crude oil has risen nearly 17% over the past week, up nearly 33% for 2026 on the back of war in the Middle East. The U.S. Dollar Index is up 0.55%, stabilizing after a rocky year. For all you home buyers, the 30-year Mortgage rate dropped below 6% for the first time since 2022. Lastly, the S&P 500 has remained steady at 0.34% for the year but still below the returns from the bond market.

Stock of The Week: Saudi Aramco

In the face of the greater Middle Eastern conflict, we want to take a look at the largest oil company in the world by revenue, Saudi Aramco. The company was founded through a 1933 concession agreement between King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and the Standard Oil Company of California, now Chevron.

Core Business Functions:

As the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals company, Saudi Aramco manages some of the planet’s largest hydrocarbon reserves, extracting massive volumes of oil and natural gas with great efficiency. Through its vast global downstream network, the company refines these raw resources into essential fuels and chemical feedstocks that power modern life and the plastics industry. Also, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself for the future with clean energy investments, most notably blue hydrogen and large scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

Iranian War Impacts on Saudi Aramco:

1. Physical Damage: Recent drone and missile strikes from Iran have directly hit major facilities such as Ras Tanura Refinery, causing fires and temporary shutdowns of production.

2. Shipping Blockades: The near closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off the primary export route, forcing the company to use more expensive and limited alternatives through the Red Sea.

3. Market Volatility: While global oil prices have surged due to the war, the company faces massive costs for emergency repairs and increased security to protect its infrastructure from further attacks.

Saudi Aramco (2222.SR) Key Facts

• CEO: Amin H. Nasser

• Founded in 1933 as California-Arabian Standard Oil by Saudi Arabian King Abdulaziz

• Market Cap: $6.32 Trillion

• Sector: Energy - Oil & Gas

• 52-week range: $23.04 - $27.56

• Morningstar Economic Moat Rating: Wide

• PE Ratio: 17.28

Saudi Aramco (2222.SR) vs SPDR Shares S&P 500 ETF (SPY) over the past 5-years

Weekly Insight: The U.S. Armada Attacks Iran - Operation Epic Fury

Early morning Saturday, 2/28/2026, Israel and the U.S. launched an attack on various sites in Iran, targeting key leadership figures with the objective of regime change. During that Saturday, long-reigning Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated by air strike in Tehran, Iran. The attack was executed by the Israeli Air Force with support from the U.S. Air Force.

Iran started a succession process with 88 high-level clerics forming the Assembly of Experts to choose a new leader while a provisional council holds power in the interim.

Iran has retaliated with attacks on various U.S. and Israeli military units along with civilian infrastructure in surrounding Arab countries. Saudi Arabian Prince Salman has committed to taking military action against further Iranian strikes, as Saudi airspace has been closed to U.S. and Israeli military use.

Global energy will be impacted as major hubs in Dubai and Doha are closed, while the Persian Gulf is a war zone. It is to be seen how long the global economy can withstand the closure of Middle Eastern airspace and shipping lanes.

Paramount (PSKY) Capitalizes on Netflix’s (NFLX) Hall Pass & Acquires Warner Brothers (WBD)

The Mega-App: HBO Max and Paramount will combine into one streaming service.

The Content: This merger puts heavy-hitting franchises like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Yellowstone, and the NFL all under one roof.

What’s Next: The deal still needs government approval, but this instantly creates a streaming giant with enough firepower to go head-to-head with Netflix.

Takeaways From Intuit (INTU) Earnings Call

Financial Beat: Intuit outperformed expectations, with revenue hitting $4.7 billion (up 17%). TurboTax and Credit Karma both saw double-digit growth, proving that despite a shifting economy, their core tools are in high-demand.

The AI Pivot: 3 million customers are using their new AI agents and to keep this momentum up - they announced a major new partnership with Anthropic to build smart and more personalized financial tools.

Mixed Outlook: While the company kept its strong full-year goals, they gave a slightly lower-than-expected forecast for the next few months. This is likely due to higher marketing costs as they ramp up for a competitive U.S. tax season.

Poll Question

Last week’s poll results - “Will the software sector recover in 2026?”

1. 50% Voted for: Yes, but just enough to end the year even

2. 25% Voted for: Yes, the sector will end 2026 with double digit growth

3. 25% Voted for: No, this is just the beginning, further selloff will continue

Featured Comment: JamesHelring’s Unsung Hero for the Men’s Gold Medal Hockey Game was Canadian Defenseman Cale Makar

Quote of The Week: Godfrey Reggio

“I think it is naive to pray for world peace if we’re not going to change the form in which in we live.”

Last Week’s YouTube Episode:

Feel free send feedback or further input on the poll question to [email protected] or [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!