Tech and Labor Resilience Lift Markets Amid Geopolitical Volatility

Corporate News and Tech Developments - Nvidia (NVDA) reported a historic fourth-quarter revenue of $68.13 billion, marking a 73% year-on-year increase, with shares gaining traction due to progress on its next-generation "Vera Rubin" chip and expansion into "agentic AI" [6] - Target (TGT) shares rose after analysts upgraded the retailer to an "Outperform" rating, following positive comments from CEO Michael Fiddelke about strong early-year performance and successful February sales [7] - Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) were identified as top "defensive" stocks amid geopolitical tensions, with Apple unveiling new MacBook Air and Pro models, while Microsoft and Alphabet (GOOGL) are increasing investments in nuclear energy for AI data centers [8] - Kraken Financial (KRAKEN) became the first crypto-native firm to secure a Federal Reserve master account, allowing direct access to U.S. central bank payment systems, marking a significant step for digital assets in mainstream finance [9] - Brown-Forman (BF.B) reaffirmed its full-year outlook despite a challenging operating environment, while CrowdStrike (CRWD) continues to benefit from AI-driven cybersecurity demand following a solid quarterly report [10]