US stocks fell for the 4th consecutive week. Weekly market recap, trading week 12/2026

Summary of the trading week using the most popular posts from the X platform

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Global Markets Investor
March 22, 2026

GLOBAL MARKETS INVESTOR’S PORTFOLIO IS 🔥UP +97%🔥 SINCE JANUARY 2024

DURING THE MARCH-APRIL 2025 MARKET TURMOIL, MAJOR US INDEXES FELL NEARLY 20%, WHILE THE GMI PORTFOLIO GAINED OVER 5%, FIND OUT HOW BELOW:

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In this series, you can find financial markets posts with the highest number of interactions from my X platform feed over the most recent week. I am aware that not everybody uses X regularly, so I thought it could provide some value to your analysis, and investment process. These posts are surrounded by extra charts, commentary and explanations of complicated topics.

Markets had a brutal week as the US–Iran conflict escalated and sent shockwaves across most assets.

Gold suffered its worst weekly drop in 43 years, mirroring the 1983 collapse when Middle Eastern oil exporters dumped bullion for cash during an oil-market breakdown.

Equities were hammered, with the S&P 500 now down -7.6% from its January peak and posting its lowest close of 2026, wiping out -$3.2 trillion in market value since the Iran war began.

Tensions rose after reports that the Pentagon is preparing potential ground-force deployments, while President Donald Trump rejected a ceasefire and remained evasive about a possible operation to seize Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil hub.

Small caps cracked, with the Russell 2000 officially entering correction territory, now down -10% from its record high.

Treasury yields jumped at the fastest pace since the April 2025 selloff, pushing markets to price in a 50% chance of a Fed hike by October.

Meanwhile, energy markets were volatile but surprisingly contained given the scale of geopolitical risk.

WTI traded between $92 and $100, ending near the top of the range (up just +1% for the week), while Brent surged +8.8% and European natural gas jumped +18.3%.

Intraday oil swings were extreme: spikes on news of three US warships and 2,500 Marines heading to the region, brief pullbacks on headlines pointing to de-escalation efforts, and renewed surges after reports of US preparations for ground operations.

By week’s end, US stocks remained under heavy pressure, softened only by a late-Friday recovery of index buying.

Overall, the sentiment remains deeply fragile, with investors hoping for some sort of de-escalation.

In case you missed it, other posts from this week are listed below.

⚠️CHART OF THE WEEK: The real energy market shock is in fuel prices, not crude oil

The real economic damage is already spreading through nearly all world economies

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/chart-of-the-week-the-real-energy-market-shock-is-in-fuel-prices-not-crude-oil

🚨Why are gold and silver prices really falling?

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the precious metals complex than the usual headlines.

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/why-are-gold-and-silver-prices-really-falling

🚨Wall Street is the most hedged in years, yet US stocks refuse to selloff sharply

What is happening here?

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/wall-street-is-the-most-hedged-in-years-yet-us-stocks-refuse-to-selloff-sharply

Investors are racing to pull money out of private credit funds

How does this resolve?

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/investors-are-racing-to-pull-money-out-of-private-credit-funds

The Iran War is putting the semiconductor industry on high alert

Helium prices are rising at an accelerated pace

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/the-iran-war-is-putting-the-semiconductor-industry-on-high-alert

Fed holds rates for the second consecutive meeting

The central bank sees only one rate reduction in 2026

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/fed-holds-rates-for-the-second-consecutive-meeting

1) Weekly performance. In the first post attached, you can see last week’s performance of the major US indexes, the VIX volatility index, 10-year Treasury yield, the US Dollar, gold, silver, WTI Crude oil and Bitcoin.

- S&P 500 -1.9%
- Nasdaq -2.1%
- Russell 2000 (small caps) -1.6%
- Dow Jones -2.1%
- US 10-year Treasury yield +9 basis points
- Bank Index +1.7%
- VIX -2%, front month contract VIX futures +3%
- US Dollar index -1.0%
- Gold -11%
- Silver -16%
- WTI Crude Oil +1.0%

2025 was the year of precious metals and non-US markets

Time to review how major asset classes and stocks performed in 2025 and what might be lying ahead

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/2025-was-the-year-of-precious-metals-and-non-us-markets

⚠️CHART OF THE WEEK: Will the gold outperformance of the S&P 500 continue for years?

Food for thought regarding gold and the S&P 500 relative performance

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/chart-of-the-week-will-the-gold-outperformance-of-the-s-p-500-continue-for-years

- Bitcoin -1.9%

Is Bitcoin going to $1,000,000?

What to expect from the world's largest cryptocurrency in the coming months and years

globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/is-bitcoin-going-to-1000000

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Past performance isn't predictive; illustrative only. Investing risks principal; no securities offer. See important Disclaimers

For the trading week ending March 27, key events are:

- US Jobless Claims on Thursday

- US Consumer Sentiment for March on Friday

- At least 10 Fed Speakers

Pretty muted week in terms of economic data ahead.

2) The Iran War is entering its most critical phase yet.

3) The biggest elephant in the room is not stocks, it is the bond market.

4) Global fund managers are rushing to cash at the fastest pace since the 2020 crash.

5) Some additional posts that include interesting economic and financial-market data about global industrial demand destruction, US job market, the Bank of Japan, Yen positioning, China’s gold purchases, US Dollar positioning, European gas prices and others.

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