Geopolitical Tensions - The U.S. military is preparing for a prolonged military campaign against Iran, indicating a significant escalation from previous actions [2][3] - The Pentagon is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East, joining existing naval assets, as President Trump warns of severe consequences for Iran if diplomatic solutions fail [3][11] - Analysts predict that these military movements could lead to significant volatility in energy markets, potentially affecting the United States Oil Fund (USO) [4] Technology Sector - The U.S. technology sector is facing heightened credit risk, with distressed loans rising to 15.69% in February 2026, the highest since the 2022 bear market [5][11] - Despite strong earnings from industry leaders like Nvidia and Microsoft, the sector is grappling with a "SaaS apocalypse" as private credit conditions tighten, leading to over $46.9 billion in technology debt becoming non-performing [6][7] - Investors in the Invesco QQQ Trust are closely monitoring these credit conditions, with concerns about a potential "software-PE death spiral" if declining valuations continue to tighten lending [7] Student Loan Crisis - U.S. student loan delinquencies have reached crisis levels, with serious delinquencies (90+ days past due) hitting a record 16.19% in Q4 2025 [8][11] - The Financial Stability Oversight Council reported that over 9 million borrowers have missed at least one payment, contributing to a total delinquency pool of $1.7 trillion, which is affecting credit scores and access to other loans [9][10] - Financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs are preparing for the impacts of this consumer credit strain, particularly among borrowers aged 40-49 [10]