Happy Monday! Rising geopolitical tensions fueled energy market volatility as crude prices and energy stocks climbed following a heated exchange over U.S. support for Ukraine. Here’s what this means for investors — and how energy markets could react to shifting foreign policy. Also, learn about the stocks quietly gaining momentum.

—Josh Enomoto

Plus, if you’re looking to invest in an innovative industrial specialist, check out today’s sponsor.

MARKET RECAP

Last Week: Stocks rallied Friday as inflation data met expectations, easing concerns over aggressive Fed policy moves. Bond yields declined, while value stocks continued to outperform, reinforcing the shift in market leadership. Investors now focus on trade developments and the Fed’s next policy steps.

On Our Radar: Analysts will look toward construction spending and ISM manufacturing data for additional clues about economic health. On the earnings front, GigaCloud Technology and Okta will disclose their results after today’s closing bell.

TOP STORY

Energy Markets Volatile As Trump, Vance Clash with Zelenskyy Over Ukraine Aid

Oil prices surged as geopolitical uncertainty deepened, with energy stocks benefiting from heightened tensions over U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Here’s what’s driving the market — and how investors can position for potential volatility ahead.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Titan America Pursues Growth With IPO Proceeds

Titan America SA (NYSE: TTAM), the U.S. subsidiary of Brussels-based Titan Cement International, is gearing up to grow its business on the heels of its recent IPO. 

The company, which is capitalizing on what it expects to be long-term growth buoyed by demand for housing, deregulation and a shift to greener products, just raised $136.8 million in its IPO and now sports a market capitalization of close to $3 billion. 

Proceeds from its IPO are earmarked for capital expenditures, investments in technology, and strategic acquisitions. It makes sense that Titan America would be spun off into a standalone company, given 60% of its parent company’s sales are derived from this unit. To learn more about Titan America and its IPO, click here. 

This is a paid ad. Please see 17b disclosure here for more information.

FIVE ZINGERS

High Rollers: Affluent Americans are undergirding economic growth through their heightened spending. Nevertheless, here's why some experts are worried.

Sweet Deals: Cathie Wood's Ark Invest made quite a few big trades, including acquisitions of Archer Aviation and Tempus AI. Here's a list of other stocks the fund bought and sold.

Paradigm Shift: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently shared his thoughts on how AI is changing the professional landscape. Discover what the machines will do — and what they will not.

Exit Door: Major crypto investors or whales dumped the official memecoin of First Lady Melania Trump. Learn about legislation designed to curtail underlying political profiteering.

House Cleaning: Elon Musk's aggressive efforts to streamline the federal workforce are causing friction among Trump insiders. Read about the contradictory claims sparking the fiasco.

SPECIAL OFFER

5 Stocks Investors Secretly Monitor But Don’t Talk About Yet

Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index uses a combination of proprietary data and pattern recognition to showcase five stocks that are just under the surface and deserve attention.

Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. With countless methods available to retail traders, the challenge often lies in sifting through the abundance of information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks should be of interest.

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM): The specialty grocery retailer returns to the Stock market Index after appearances in November 2024 and January 2025. The company recently reported quarterly financial results with earnings per share and revenue each beating Street consensus estimates. The company has beaten both earnings per share and revenue estimates in four straight quarters. Sprouts is guiding for net sales growth of 10.5% to 12.5% in 2025 with comparable store sales growth of 10% to 11% for the full year. Several analysts raised their price targets on the stock after the earnings report. The retailer continues to draw strong interest from investors and unit expansion and net sales growth could continue to boost shares, which are up over 130% in the last year.

To keep reading, and get the other four Whisper Index stocks, sign up for Benzinga Edge here.

SPECIAL OFFER

Volatility Creates Opportunity — If You Know Where To Look

Join Matt Maley on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 PM ET for a real-time breakdown of March’s most promising stock & options setups. He’ll walk you through key market catalysts, inflation data, and sector rotations coming this month. Register now.

BEFORE YOU GO

Were you forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe.

And be sure to check out our other newsletters:

Future Finance: Where fintech, crypto and the future of finance collide. Future Finance is a perfect lunch read packed with quick bites for industry enthusiasts. Subscribe here.

Cannabis Daily: A must-read daily briefing for cannabis investors, operators and enthusiasts. Join our list of industry veterans to jump start your morning. Subscribe here.

Real Estate Weekly: Ready to elevate your real estate game? This weekly newsletter provides actionable insights whether you are investing in REITs, owning property or delving into the fast-growing world of fractional real estate. Subscribe here.

Advisor: Tailor-made for Financial Advisors, this weekly newsletter has industry-specific insights, analysis, and news. Subscribe here.

Tech Trends: Get the inside scoop on AI, the hottest gadgets and mind-blowing tech trends. Subscribe here.