Stock Market Breaks Lower As Oil Prices Rebound Amid Iran War; Arm Flexes: Weekly Review

Market Overview - The stock market experienced a decline, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 reaching six-month lows due to the ongoing Iran war, rising oil prices, and high Treasury yields [1][2] - Small-cap stocks initially rose but later fell back from resistance levels, while the Dow Jones remained flat for the week [1][2] Oil Prices - U.S. crude oil prices fluctuated, initially rising above $100 per barrel before dropping to around $88 following news of a potential diplomatic breakthrough regarding Iran [3] - Prices rebounded as Iran rejected the peace plan, with U.S. oil prices above $97 per barrel and Brent crude at $110 by Friday morning [3] Arm Holdings - Arm Holdings launched a new server chip aimed at data centers for AI applications, forecasting sales growth from $1 billion in fiscal 2028 to $15 billion in fiscal 2031 [4] - Meta Platforms is expected to be the primary customer for this new chip, which positions Arm to compete with AMD and Intel [4] Memory Stocks - Memory chip stocks faced significant declines due to fears of a cyclical peak and reports of improved compression algorithms from Google that could reduce memory usage [5] - Companies like Micron Technology and Sandisk saw their shares drop, while Sandisk announced a $1 billion investment in DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology [5] SpaceX IPO - SpaceX is preparing for an initial public offering that could raise $75 billion or more, potentially making it one of the largest IPOs in history [6] - The company recently merged with xAI, valuing the AI startup at $250 billion and the overall company at $1.25 trillion, with speculation of a $1.75 trillion valuation [6] Meta Platforms - Meta Platforms faced legal challenges, resulting in a 10% drop in shares after being found liable for contributing to mental health issues among young users [8] - The rulings may lead to increased scrutiny and potential legal challenges for internet companies regarding the content they host [8] Argan - Argan reported a 56% increase in earnings, with sales rising nearly 13% to $262 million, driven by strong demand in data center construction and electrification projects [12] - The company's project backlog more than doubled to $2.9 billion, indicating robust future growth prospects [12]