Welcome back. Today we've got an update on how the Russia-Ukraine war is impacting the markets, as well as a chart that shows how Americans have fared through the Great Resignation.
Let's jump in.
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1. Investors are shedding huge amounts of European stock-market exposure. Analysts at Bank of America said in a note last week that the war in Ukraine kicked off the largest ever outflow from European equities in a single week, with investors pulling a record $13.5 billion from the market.
That number more than doubles the previous week's record-setting outflows, according to funds tracker EPFR.
"Russia's assault of Ukraine, and the increasingly indiscriminate approach taken by Russia to sustain that assault, forced European-focused investors to weigh a range of possibilities ranging from recession in key markets to a broadening of the current conflict," EPFR said.
Meanwhile, inflows to gold are at their greatest since July 2020.
For firms with exposure directly to Russian markets, the losses are piling up. Last week, BlackRock said it marked down the value of clients' investments in the country by $17 billion, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The $10 trillion asset manager had about $18 billion worth of Russian assets at the end of January, the majority of which it has marked down to almost zero.
In other news:
2. US futures and European shares are edging cautiously higher. Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to take place, while a weaker oil price is helping alleviate some concerns about a energy shock. Here's what's happening on the markets.
3. Earnings on deck: Acorn Energy, Lumen Finance Trust, and Paratek Pharmaceuticals, all reporting.
4. Bank of America said stock splits are followed by a 25% average price return in the following 12 months. "Once the split is executed, investors who have wanted to gain or increase exposure may start to rush for the chance to buy," the bank said. Here's 20 companies that could announce the next stock split.
5. BlackRock is facing losses of over $17 billion on its holdings of Russian assets. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the world's largest asset manager's largest Russian ETF fell from a value of $600 million to under $1 million, according to a report. Here's what to know.
6. Valuations for work-from-home stock picks have tumbled. Many pandemic winners like Zoom and Docusign have crashed from record highs. Here's seven work-from-home favorites that have fallen back to earth.
7. Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary said 20% of his portfolio is in crypto and blockchain. The venture capitalist warned that the US is behind the curve in crypto policy, and it needs to catch up to other countries. He named solana, ether, avalanche, and helium as tokens he owns.
8. "Super savers" agree that if you want to increase your savings, you're better off focusing on three main expenses. Making your coffee at home every day isn't relevant, according to one super saver who puts away more than 50% of his income. Focus on housing first, and these two other factors to get the best results.
9. Oil to $240? It's possible if western countries continue to sanction Russia. A leading commodity analyst broke down why prices could double by summer — and predicted a nightmare scenario that would trigger a crisis in the stock market and a global recession.
10. The Great Resignation has been good to a lot of people. According to a recent survey, 56% of Americans who quit in 2021 and are employed are making more in their new jobs. "On balance, things are going better for them in a new job than before."
Curated by Phil Rosen in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @philrosenn.)