President Trump announced a conditional two-week ceasefire with Iran, causing crude oil to plunge 17% to $93/barrel as traders unwound positions betting on prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption. Airlines and travel stocks surged 10%+ in pre-market trading, while analysts caution the deal remains fragile with unclear terms and ongoing sporadic attacks.

U.S. large-cap stocks posted strong gains during the shortened week of March 30-April 2. VinFast Auto led with a 42.77% jump driven by strong EV momentum and Canadian rebates. Alcoa gained 24.12% on bullish commodities sentiment amid Middle East conflict resolution expectations. Other notable gainers included SBA Communications (23.22%), Equinox Gold (20.98%), and several precious metals miners, with gains ranging from 15-19%.

President Trump has sent Iran a 15-point peace plan addressing nuclear programs and maritime routes, with prediction markets showing a 48% probability of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire by April 30. Ten Russell 1000 stocks down 17-33% since the war began are positioned for potential recovery if peace talks succeed. War-battered sectors including airlines, mining, and cruise lines staged sharp premarket rebounds on the diplomatic developments.

Markets sold off sharply on March 19, 2026, as Iranian strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure pushed crude oil above $100/barrel, triggering stagflation concerns. The S&P 500 hit its lowest close since mid-November, while the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance and rising inflation projections pushed Treasury yields higher. Gold plummeted 4.5% as real yields climbed, while energy stocks surged and precious metals miners collapsed.

Thesis Gold & Silver Inc. completed a private placement raising C$44M, with AngloGold Ashanti acquiring 13.9M shares (5% stake) for C$38.7M and Centerra Gold exercising participation rights to acquire 2.1M shares (9.9% ownership) for C$5.7M at C$2.79 per share. The funds will support working capital and technical studies for the Lawyers-Ranch gold-silver project in British Columbia.

Thesis Gold Inc. announced a strategic investment from AngloGold Ashanti, which will acquire 5% of the company's shares for C$38.7 million at $2.79 per share. Centerra Gold will also participate, acquiring an additional 2.06 million shares to maintain its 9.9% ownership stake for C$5.7 million. The combined funding of approximately C$44.4 million will support working capital and technical studies for the Lawyers-Ranch gold-silver project in British Columbia.

Gold and silver prices collapsed on Friday, with silver down 27% and gold down 9.5% — their worst single-day declines since 1980. The selloff was triggered by President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, perceived as a hawk who prioritizes inflation control over monetary stimulus. This unwound the 'debasement trade' that had driven precious metals higher in January, causing mining stocks to suffer double-digit losses.

Seven stocks in the Russell 1000 ETF have surged over 200% since Trump's return to office on January 20, 2025, driven by themes including space infrastructure, defense spending, AI supply constraints, and precious metals. Top performers include AST SpaceMobile (450%), Rocket Lab (290%), Anglo Ashanti (280%), and Lumentum (277%), reflecting investor appetite for national security, AI infrastructure, and critical minerals.

While Alphabet (Google) led the Magnificent Seven with a 66% year-to-date gain, eight country-focused ETFs delivered even stronger returns, driven by commodity booms in emerging markets and a banking sector revival in Southern Europe. South Korea's iShares MSCI South Korea ETF topped the list with an 87% gain, fueled by AI-driven chipmaker demand, while South Africa, Peru, and Colombia benefited from surging precious metals prices.

Fredonia Mining Inc. plans to amend the exercise prices of three series of outstanding warrants and implement an early warrant exercise incentive program to encourage warrant exercise and support corporate development activities.

Aura Minerals has completed the acquisition of the Mineração Serra Grande gold mine in Goiás, Brazil from AngloGold Ashanti for $72.8 million upfront, with additional deferred payments based on net smelter returns.

Several large-cap stocks showed significant gains last week, with companies like On Holding, Albemarle, and Tower Semiconductor reporting strong earnings and receiving positive analyst attention.