Wednesday, March 11, 2026
☀️ Today, 3.5 billion people can access the internet — up from just 400 million in 2000. More humans are connected right now than at any point in history.
Med-tech giant Stryker experienced a severe global disruption across its Windows environment Wednesday, with staff reporting the logo of pro-Palestinian group Handala on their computers. The Wall Street Journal reported the attack is potentially linked to an Iran-backed hacking group, marking an escalation of cyber warfare amid the physical conflict.
February's Consumer Price Index rose 2.4% year-over-year, in line with forecasts, but the data predates the Iran conflict's energy impact. With WTI crude at $87.25 and Brent at $91.98, analysts warn the full inflationary effect won't appear until March and April readings, potentially delaying Fed rate cuts beyond July.
💡 CPI (Consumer Price Index) — measures the average change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services; the Fed's 2% target refers to a different measure (PCE), but CPI is released earlier and closely watched.
G7 finance ministers are scheduled to convene later this week to discuss coordinated efforts to manage global oil supplies and mitigate the economic impact of the Middle East conflict. The meeting follows the IEA's 400M barrel reserve release and comes as shipping costs climb on maritime risk.
Chinese EV maker Nio reported its first quarterly net profit Wednesday, beating Q4 earnings expectations, but shares fell 3.9% as analysts split over the sustainability of profitability and a controversial billion-dollar CEO compensation package. Trading volume surged 75% above the three-month average.
The International Energy Agency announced Wednesday it will release 400 million barrels from strategic reserves — the largest deployment in history — to counter supply disruptions from the Iran conflict that has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the announcement, Brent crude surged 4.8% to $91.98 as three more vessels were struck in the strait overnight, with over 1,000 ships now stranded and 15 million barrels per day of crude trapped.
Oracle reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $17.2B (+22% YoY) and EPS of $1.79, beating estimates, while lifting its remaining performance obligations to $553B — more than quadrupling year-over-year. The cloud infrastructure giant raised full-year 2027 revenue guidance by $1B to $90B, calming investor fears over AI infrastructure ROI.
Navitas Semiconductor closed up 24.9% Wednesday after launching new silicon carbide MOSFET and AI-focused power platforms targeting data center energy efficiency. The company is pivoting from consumer semiconductors to AI infrastructure, with a partnership in place with Nvidia to support its data centers.
Nvidia struck a multiyear deal with Thinking Machines that includes a significant investment and access to at least one gigawatt of next-generation Vera Rubin chips. The agreement gives the young startup an enormous compute runway as competition intensifies over who can secure power, chips, and capital first in the AI race.
Bitcoin advanced 0.7% to $70,783 Wednesday, outperforming the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and gold during the Iran crisis. Spot ETF inflows have remained positive despite broader market weakness, with institutional allocation continuing to expand even as short-term traders exit positions.
MetaMask integrated the Uniswap API as a primary swap provider Wednesday, allowing users to route trades directly through multiple Uniswap protocol versions across 16+ blockchain networks. The integration links MetaMask's built-in swap interface to Uniswap's routing engine rather than relying solely on general DEX aggregation.
Researchers announced Wednesday they've uncovered a molecular mechanism in hornwort plants that could help future crops capture carbon dioxide far more efficiently. The discovery, published this week, involves a unique protein feature called RbcS-STAR that causes the key photosynthesis enzyme Rubisco to cluster into dense formations, potentially revolutionizing agricultural productivity in a warming climate.