Perusing the various indices Tuesday, it was apparent that markets were acting rather, shall we say, "well-coordinated" as can be seen by the screen captures on the right.
Bear in mind that these three separate indices do overlap, but, the Dow is only 30 stocks, the S&P is 500, the NASDAQ is literally thousands (around 3,700), and NYSE Composite is thousands more. Anybody who thinks U.S. markets are not widely controlled by large shareholders such as BlackRock and Vanguard, and the government, might want to reconsider. Some estimates say that 90% of U.S. stock trades are performed by algorithms and computers with limited or no human involvement, which is why a few well-timed tweets or even one government sound bite - such as President Trump mentioning on Monday that the war might end soon - can move all indices in the exact same direction.
Obviously, the press releases, tweets, and statements are usually designed for a positive response. After all, the government and Wall Street operate the largest skimming operation in the world. They make money off of unsuspecting citizens and companies via price movement, fees, interst, and taxes, and they've been doing it for a very long time. It is naive to think that actual market forces - Adam Smith's "invisible hand" - controls price movements when the market forces are greatly influenced by oligarchs acting in concert. The hand has become quite visible as it grips markets.
The operations of the Mafia and other organizations that engaged in protection rackets, gambling, and extortion have been nearly perfected, though the big money is made by wars and military "excursions".
Nobody is allowed to see images from Israel, where cities like Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem have been bombarded by Iran for nearly two weeks straight. Anyone caught transmitting images of destruction from Israel faces up to five years in jail.
Planet Labs PBC, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite imaging companies, has announced a mandatory 96-hour delay on the public release of newly captured imagery covering the Gulf States and adjacent conflict zones.
Planet had previously imposed a 30-day delay on imagery from Gaza. Vantor, formerly Maxar, has long withheld imagery of US and allied military bases entirely.The OSINT-focused account The STRATCOM Bureau characterized the restriction as unprecedented, noting it followed consultations between Planet Labs and the US government. Planet indicated the scope may change as the conflict evolves.
People around the world are just supposed to accept - without proof - that the U.S. and Israel are "winning." The levels of censorship ove this conflict are off the charts. Those who remember Desert Storm will recall that images of Iraq being blasted to smithereens were broadcast on a daily basis. Reporters were embedded within some military units.
This is different. It's obvious that the U.S. and Israeli governments don't want anybody to know what's actually happening. Pretty sad.
At 8:30 am ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released February CPI, stating:
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, after rising 0.2 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.4 percent before seasonal adjustment.
Core CPI rose 0.2% in February and 2.5% on an annual basis. Despite the numbers being fairly dovish, stock futures reacted negatively.
With U.S. markets opening in half an hour, Dow futures are off 228 points, NASDAQ futures are down 68, and S&P futures are down 21 points.
Gold and silver are slumping with gold at $5171 and silver at $85.40 per ounce on the spot market. When precious metals retreat, it's lately been a signal that stocks are headed lower, so, at least for the morning session, look for things to head south.
WTI crude oil is rising from overnight lows, up about $4.00 to $86.25 despite calls for various countries to release their strategic oil reserves. The problem there is that, like the United States, many major countries have depleted their supplies (U.S. at 40% of capacity), so the artificial boost will be small and temporary. Iran is said to be dropping mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Whether that is true or not, it's having an effect on oil prices.
Seems a world of hurt.
At the Close, Tuesday, March 10, 2026:
Dow: 47,706.51, -34.29 (-0.07%)
NASDAQ: 22,697.10, +1.16 (+0.01%)
S&P 500: 6,781.48, -14.51 (-0.21%)
NYSE Composite: 6,781.48, -14.51 (-0.21%)
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