What we’re reading (4/14)
“S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Futures Hover Amid Renewed Hopes For US-Iran Talks” (Yahoo! Finance). “Momentum has been building: the S&P 500 has now posted gains in nine of the past 10 sessions and sits just shy of its late-January peak. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite extended its winning streak to 10 consecutive days. Recent advances have effectively wiped out losses from the Iran war in the year-to-date.”
“Nasdaq Logs Longest Winning Streak Since 2021 As Investors Look Beyond War” (Wall Street Journal). “The good vibes mark a stark reversal from the malaise that dragged shares lower after fighting began at the end of February. The prospect of a peace deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz has now powered the Nasdaq composite to its longest streak of daily gains since November 2021—a 10-session ascent that has lifted the tech-heavy index 14%. The S&P 500 has erased its wartime losses and climbed 1.2% Tuesday to within 0.2% of its Jan. 27 record.”
“What A United-American Merger Would Mean, From Antitrust Hurdles To Airfare” (CNBC). “While the Trump administration has appeared more open to mega deals than its predecessors, such a merger would face heavy regulatory scrutiny with the top four airlines (those two carriers, plus Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines) already dominating about 80% of domestic capacity. If they combined, American and United would have a roughly 40% domestic share, according to airline data firm OAG. ‘This would be the biggest of all time. I can’t even see the slightest chance that a court would allow it,’ said George Hay, a law professor at Cornell University.”
“Social Media Just Isn't Very Social Anymore” (RealClear Markets). “Today, when the average user opens a social app, they are no longer stepping into a space shaped by relationships but into a stream of content shaped by prediction. The platform is not primarily asking who you care about, but what will keep you engaged the longest. That subtle shift has profound consequences, even if most users cannot immediately articulate why the experience feels different. According to a 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, nearly half of American teenagers now believe social media is harmful to people their age, a dramatic increase in a relatively short period of time. That perception reflects more than cultural mood. It points to a structural change in how these platforms function.”
“Wall Street Banks Break Records As Iran War Drives Trading Boom” (Financial Times). “Wall Street’s biggest banks smashed records with first-quarter earnings that capitalised on market volatility sparked by the outbreak of the Iran war. JPMorgan Chase reported the highest ever revenues from its trading business and net income for the bank that was second only to 2024, when it received a one-off windfall from the sale of its stake in Visa.”
