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RBA governor says conflict may require monetary policy response – Central Banking Skip to main content End of drawer navigation content Bullock says board considering potential supply shocks amid already high levels of inflation Michele Bullock The conflict in the Middle East may require a monetary policy response in Australia if inflation expectations there become unanchored, the governor of the country’s central bank has said.Speaking today (March 3), Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock said markets had already adjusted their monetary policy expectations in response to the “deeply concerning” conflict. While declining to offer specific forward guidance, she said…

Riot Platforms posted record annual revenue of $647.4 million for 2025, up 72% from $376.7 million a year earlier.In a Monday announcement, the company said the increase was driven by a $255.3 million jump in Bitcoin (BTC) mining revenue, which reached $576.3 million in 2025 amid a rise in operational hashrate and higher average Bitcoin prices. During the year, Riot produced 5,686 Bitcoin, up from 4,828 BTC in 2024.The average cost to mine one Bitcoin, excluding depreciation, climbed to $49,645 from $32,216 in 2024. Riot attributed the higher cost largely to a 47% increase in the global network hashrate, which…

The Geopolitical Turmoil was Already Priced InFriday, the United States and Israel launched a massive coordinated air attack against Iran. After months of failed nuclear negotiations (and decades before that), President Trump decided to take action. Over the weekend, U.S. air strikes hit several major Iranian cities, ultimately ending Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 36-year iron rule.Despite no progress on nuclear negotiations and proxy attacks on U.S. citizens, U.S. presidents have avoided direct military conflict with Iran for years. That ended this weekend. So why were stocks up on Monday?1.   Markets Discount the Future: Although the attack news was not confirmed…

Introduction: Reeves to respond to spring forecast after oil and gas prices surgeGood morning.“Events, dear boy, events”. Rachel Reeves may have the (probably apocryphal, oft-quoted) wisdom of Harold Macmillan in mind today, as she responds to the latest official assessment of the UK economy.The Office for Budget Responsibility’s new Spring Forecast could, in happier times, have brought the chancellor good news this afternoon.Economists predict they will show that the UK is still keeping within the OBR’s fiscal forecasts – helped by a record budget surplus in January – and that inflation is heading down towards target.However, the Middle East crisis…

Stocks finished the day essentially flat, up 4 basis points. To no surprise to readers of this free daily commentary, the gapped lower and tested the put wall at 6,800. Implied volatility was crushed as put positions at that level were likely closed out, and stocks rebounded. Basically, it played out just as described in the Sunday write-up. The interesting part is that the still rose to 21.5 on the day, after peaking around 25 earlier in the session. Looking at the volatility smile, the March 20 implied volatility shifted higher overall. With little net price change, most of the…

Korean equities suffered their worst losses since August 2024 with international investors leading the exodus after two days of net selling

Special Report executive editor Bret Baier has the latest on Netflix dropping its bid to buy Warner Bros. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Sunday he knew “right away” he would decline to counter Paramount’s winning attempt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, admitting rival chief executive David Ellison, made a superior offer.  Netflix dropped its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday after the company announced Paramount’s latest bid to buy all of its assets, including CNN, was “superior.””We had a very tight range that we’d be willing to pay and made that offer back when we closed this deal. We…

Citigroup Inc. decreased its holdings in Atlantic Union Bankshares Co. (NASDAQ:AUB – Free Report) by 38.1% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 172,939 shares of the company’s stock after selling 106,643 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Atlantic Union Bankshares were worth $6,103,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC raised its position in Atlantic Union Bankshares by 1.8% during the third quarter. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC now owns 17,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at…

Day four of the Middle East conflict is bringing renewed volatility to global markets during Tuesday’s pre-market, with a clear shift toward risk off positioning.Bitcoin is down 3% over the past 24 hours, slipping below $67,000 after briefly touching $70,000 on Monday. In equities, the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) ETF closed slightly higher to start the week but is now down about 2% in pre market trading.Metals are also under pressure. Gold and silver are both lower, with gold holding above $5,300 per ounce and silver sliding another 4% to around $85 per ounce.In energy markets, WTI crude oil is above…

In bull markets, investors often chase revenue growth and momentum — sometimes ignoring a critical metric: free cash flow (FCF). When valuations stretch far beyond a company’s ability to generate sustainable cash, risk increases. Companies with weak or inconsistent free cash flow may rely on: Debt issuance Equity dilution Aggressive accounting Constant capital raises Below are 7 US stocks trading at elevated valuations despite weak or pressured cash flow profiles.1. Rivian Automotive (RIVN)Valuation Concern: Market cap far exceeds current production scale Heavy capital expenditure requirements Deep negative free cash flow Why it’s risky: Rivian (NASDAQ:) continues to burn billions annually…