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Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates report more strikes on civilian targets as U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran continue. View More

In this articleFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, attends a demonstration to mark Jerusalem day in Tehran.Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei its new Supreme Leader on Sunday, the Associated Press and Reuters reported, citing Iranian state media.Khamenei is the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening salvos of the war. He was considered a top contender for the role. The elder Khamenei had ruled Iran since 1989 until his death. Khamenei's appointment will hand him control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and other hardline groups. The Revolutionary Guard issued a statement expressing support, the Associated Press reported, and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah shared a portrait of the younger Khamenei on Telegram, captioned: "Leader of the blessed Islamic revolution."The selection ensures that hardliners remain in control of Iran's government, and is a direct affront to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has insisted that the U.S. will have a role in approving the country's next leader. Trump has previously referred to Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lite weight."He earlier threatened that a new leader in Tehran would be short-lived if the decision was made without his approval."He's going to have to get approval from us," Trump told ABC News. "If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don't have to go back every 10 years, when you don't have a president like me that's not going to do it."The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.The Israel Defense Forces, which is leading the Iran offensive with the U.S., said Sunday it would "pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor.""We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning!" the IDF said in a post in Farsi on X. Gulf states bombarded Iran's neighbors in the Gulf reported more damage to infrastructure over the weekend as Iran continues to attack regional allies in retaliation for ongoing strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces.The United Arab Emirates said it was "dealing with incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.""UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the country's Ministry of Defense said in a post on X.It said its defenses were intercepting ballistic missiles while fighter jets were tackling drones and "loitering munitions."On Saturday evening, alarms rang out across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, warning residents to "immediately seek a safe place" due to missile threats, and CNBC's team confirmed hearing a loud explosion. A high-rise building in Dubai's Marina area, 23 Marina, was hit by falling debris. According to Dubai's Media Office, no one was injured, but authorities confirmed that "debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver."Also on Saturday, passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport were ushered into train tunnels. Iran said it had struck an air base in the United Arab Emirates. Since the war started on Feb. 28, Iran has targeted several radar and air defenses in the Middle East — in Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — in retaliation against U.S. and Israeli attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials, military analysts and commercially available satellite images. Oil tops $100 a barrel U.S. crude oil spiked above $100 a barrel Sunday evening after major Middle East energy producers cut output because the critical Strait of Hormuz remains impassable due to the war.West Texas Intermediate soared 18.98%, or $17.25, to $108.15 per barrel by 6:12 p.m. ET. Global benchmark Brent advanced 16.19%, or $15.01, to $107.70. U.S. crude oil surged about 35% last week in its biggest gain in futures trading history dating back to 1983.The last time oil prices topped $100 per barrel was after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices rose more than 1.5% in Asian trade on Thursday, on increasing concerns of a U.S military attack on Iran that could disrupt supply from the region.Anton Petrus | Moment | Getty Images The fighting in the Gulf has greatly disrupted the oil market due to the effective closure of the strait, which carries about 20% of global oil production. The bottleneck has left Gulf nations unable to export their oil. Kuwait, the fifth-biggest producer in OPEC, announced precautionary cuts on Saturday to its oil production and refinery output due to "Iranian threats against safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz." The state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation did not detail the size of the cuts.Output in Iraq, the second-biggest OPEC producer, has effectively collapsed. Production from its three main southern oilfields has fallen 70% to 1.3 million barrels per day, three industry officials told Reuters Sunday. Those fields produced 4.3 million bpd before the Iran war.And the United Arab Emirates, the third-biggest producer in OPEC, said Saturday that it is "carefully managing offshore production levels to address storage requirements." The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said its onshore operations are continuing normally.In response to surging oil prices, the average price of gas in the U.S. has jumped to over $3.46 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, from an average of $2.94 a gallon a week earlier. Trump and his Energy secretary, Chris Wright, sought to assure Americans that the spike in fuel prices is just a short-term problem."Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace," Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday evening. "ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!" Wright said earlier in the day that the disruption would just last for "weeks, certainly not months.""We believe this is a small price to pay to get to a world where energy prices will return back to where they were," Wright said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." "Iran will finally be defanged, and now you can see more investment, more free flow of trade, less ability to threaten energy supplies." Desalination plants attacked Bahrain said Sunday that a drone attack struck a water desalination plant."Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to a water desalination plant following a drone attack," Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said in a post on X.In a statement to CNBC, Bahrain's electricity and water authority said the "Iranian attack on a water desalination facility has had no impact on water supplies or water network capacity."The country said "blatant Iranian aggression" damaged a university building in the Muharraq area, injuring three people, as missile fragments fell.Meanwhile, Iran has accused the U.S. of striking a desalination plant in its country. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that the U.S. "committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted.""Attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences," Araghchi said. U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, told MS NOW that Araghchi's claim was false. "The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to peddle lies and deceive," Hawkins said. "This is the same terrorist regime that has attacked 12 different countries and continues to deliberately target civilian airports, hotels, and neighborhoods in those countries. U.S. forces do not target civilians – period." Fuel depots targeted Elsewhere, Kuwait said two fuel depots at its international airport were hit by drones, causing a "huge fire at one of them." The country's Public Institution for Social Security said its headquarters were targeted, resulting in "material damage" to the building.Meanwhile, Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran have continued through the weekend. Fire breaks out at the Shahran oil depot after U.S. and Israeli attacks, leaving numerous fuel tankers and vehicles in the area unusable in Tehran, Iran, on March 8, 2026.Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Israel said it struck several fuel storage complexes belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The strike significantly deepens the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime," the Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X.The IDF also said it attacked "key commanders in the IRGC's Quds Force's Lebanon Corps who operated in Beirut." Arab countries condemn Iran attacks Arab foreign ministers on Sunday strongly condemned Iran's attacks on its neighbors as a "grave threat to international peace and security."In a communique following their virtual meeting, the ministers expressed support to Gulf states, along with Jordan and Iraq, in the "measure they take to deter and respond to these aggressions." Read more U.S.-Iran war newsEnergy prices will fall when Iran's ability to attack tankers ends: WrightIran war could make affordability bigger issue in 2026 electionsTrump says no deal with Iran to end war without 'unconditional surrender'How Iran and Venezuela strikes transform the Trump-Xi trade talksHouse rejects war powers resolution to rein in Trump on IranIran foreign minister says U.S. invasion disaster for themWar powers vote fails in the Senate, allowing Trump to continue Iran strikesIran war threatens $11.7 trillion global travel industry as passengers get caught in crossfireAnthropic officially told by DOD that it's a supply chain risk even as Claude used in IranI was on an Emirates flight to Dubai that turned around because of Iranian missilesIran's Shahed drone: How 'the poor man's cruise missile' is shaping Tehran's retaliation The ministers called for Iran to immediately stop its attacks and cease "provocative acts or threats to neighboring countries." They urged the U.N. Security Council to condemn Iran and force it to "immediately and unconditionally halt its attacks" on Arab countries.The ministers also voiced support to Lebanese government in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and urged the international community to pressure Israel to immediately cease its attacks on Lebanon.The communique didn't mention U.S. and Israeli strikes, which triggered the war. More U.S. service member casualties The U.S. Central Command reported in a post on X that another U.S. service member has died in action in the war, bringing the total number killed to eight. The New York City Police Department said in a statement on X that Police Officer Sorffly Davius died as a result of a medical episode while deployed to Kuwait in support of "Operation Epic Fury."On Saturday, Trump joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief. An Army carry team moves a flag-draped transfer case with the remains of Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, past President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance during a casualty return, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Del.Mark Schiefelbein | AP Photo "It's a very sad day," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later that day, saying that he was "glad we paid our respects."Thus far, more than 1,850 people have died since the start of the conflict. At least 1,330 Iranian civilians have died and more than 100,000 Iranians have been displaced due to the conflict. In Lebanon, 394 have been killed; 15 people have died in Israel; Kuwait has reported 11 dead; 4 people have died in the UAE; 3 have died in Oman; 2 have died in Saudi Arabia; and 1 person has been reported killed in Bahrain, according to figures compiled by MS NOW.— CNBC's Spencer Kimball, Terri Cullen and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

Indian investors are significantly fuelling Dubai's booming real estate market in 2026, injecting billions annually. Attracted by tax-free returns, strong rental yields and investor-friendly policies, they are now the largest foreign buyer group. This trend highlights Dubai's appeal as a secure global wealth hub, with even middle-class Indians diversifying portfolios overseas. View More

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The SAVE America Act is all but certain to fail in the Senate, where Democrats will use the filibuster to sink it. View More

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a round table on collegiate sports in the White House in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2026. Nathan Howard | Reuters President Donald Trump threatened to withhold his signature from any bill that reaches his desk until Congress passes a controversial election measure known as the SAVE America Act, which would make it much harder for many Americans to vote. "It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. "I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed."The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote. The measure has been the subject of an immense pressure campaign from right-wing commentators and congressional Republicans. The House passed the bill last month, but it is short of the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 vote majority in the upper chamber, and Democrats have vowed to oppose it. That has led some Republicans to call for subverting the filibuster, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D, has so far resisted. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the threat of gridlock does not change Democrats' stance. "If Trump is saying he won't sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate," he said on X. "Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances."Trump has also called for Congress to deliver him an enhanced version of the bill, "NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION," he wrote."GO FOR THE GOLD: MUST SHOW VOTER I.D. & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS EXCEPT FOR MILITARY - ILLNESS, DISABILITY, TRAVEL: NO MEN IN WOMEN'S SPORTS: NO TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION FOR CHILDREN! DO NOT FAIL!!!" Trump added. Read more CNBC politics coverageTrump vows executive order to 'fix' college sports NIL payments 'mess'Trump says defense CEOs agree to quadruple production of 'Exquisite Class' weaponryTrump tariffs: Customs and Border Protection tells judge it can't comply with refund orderAnalysis: Tough jobs report puts Trump's Iran war plans to the test Trump's demands would require the House to pass another iteration of the SAVE America Act — it has already passed two versions of the measure during this Congress. That's anything but assured when Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., only has what is effectively a one-vote majority in the House. Trump's threatened signature blockade also imperils other must-pass legislation, like a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year. The department is currently shut down after funding lapsed last month. Democrats are demanding new restrictions on Trump's deportation efforts after two American citizens were shot and killed by federal immigration agents. A signature blockade may have mixed results. Trump can veto any bills sent to him and send them back to Congress, which can override his veto with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. If Congress adjourns, the president also can let the bill sit for 10 days, and it will not become law — a procedure known as a "pocket veto."But an unsigned bill that sits for 10 days while Congress is in session automatically becomes law, meaning Congress could overcome a signature blockade by staying in session.The clock is also ticking for Republicans facing a tough midterm election in November, which could potentially see Democrats winning back the majority in one or both chambers. The window for pushing through any of the GOP's or Trump's legislative wish list is already narrow, and polls indicate that voters are souring on Trump and his economy ahead of the elections.An NBC News poll released Sunday found that 62% of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of inflation and the cost of living — the top issues for voters in that poll. Democrats held a six-point lead in the generic congressional ballot in the survey. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

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An Indian national was killed when a military projectile fell in a residential area of Al-Kharj Governorate, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. \ View More

A viral Instagram video showing two software engineers paying around ?1 lakh rent for a 2BHK apartment in Mumbai’s Parel has left social media stunned. The apartment tour has triggered fresh debate about the city’s soaring housing costs. View More

New age-verification laws and tools are designed for child safety on social media and the internet, but adults are in the crosshairs, say privacy experts. View More

Thomas Trutschel | Photothek | Getty Images New U.S laws designed to protect minors are pulling millions of adult Americans into mandatory age-verification gates to access online content, leading to backlash from users and criticism from privacy advocates that a free and open internet is at stake. Roughly half of U.S. states have enacted or are advancing laws requiring platforms — including adult content sites, online gaming services, and social media apps — to block underage users, forcing companies to screen everyone who approaches these digital gates. "There's a big spectrum," said Joe Kaufman, global head of privacy at Jumio, one of the largest digital identity-verification and authentication platforms. He explained that the patchwork of state laws vary in technical demands and compliance expectations. "The regulations are moving in many different directions at once," he said.  Social media company Discord announced plans in February to roll out mandatory age verification globally, which the company said would rely on verification methods designed so facial analysis occurs on a user's device and submitted data would be deleted immediately. The proposal quickly drew backlash from users concerned about having to submit selfies or government IDs to access certain features, which led Discord to delay the launch until the second half of this year."Let me be upfront: we knew this rollout was going to be controversial. Any time you introduce something that touches identity and verification, people are going to have strong feelings," Discord chief technology officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy wrote in a Feb. 24 blog post. Websites offering adult content, gambling, or financial services often rely on full identity verification that requires scanning a government ID and matching it to a live image. But most of the verification systems powering these checkpoints — often run by specialized identity-verification vendors on behalf of websites — rely on artificial intelligence such as facial recognition and age-estimation models that analyze selfies or video to determine in seconds whether someone is old enough to access content. Social media and lower-risk services may use lighter estimation tools designed to confirm age without permanently storing detailed identity records.  Vendors say a challenge is balancing safety with how much friction users will tolerate. "We're in the business of ensuring that you are absolutely keeping minors safe and out and able to let adults in with as little friction as possible," said Rivka Gerwitz Little, chief growth officer at identity-verification platform Socure. Excessive data collection, she added, creates friction that users resist.  Still, many users perceive mandatory identity checks as invasive. "Having another way to be forced to provide that information is intrusive to people," said Heidi Howard Tandy, a partner at Berger Singerman who specializes in intellectual property and internet law. Some users may attempt workarounds — including prepaid cards or alternative credentials — or turn to unauthorized distribution channels. "It's going to cause a piracy situation," she added. Where adult data goes In many implementations, verification vendors — not the websites themselves — process and retain the identity information, returning only a pass-fail signal to the platform. Gerwitz Little said Socure does not sell verification data and that in lightweight age-estimation scenarios, where platforms use quick facial analysis or other signals rather than government documentation, the company may store little or no information. But in fuller identity-verification contexts, such as gaming and fraud prevention that require ID scans, certain adult verification records may be retained to document compliance. She said Socure can keep some adult verification data for up to three years while following applicable privacy and purging rules.  Civil liberties' advocates warn that concentrating large volumes of identity data among a small number of verification vendors can create attractive targets for hackers and government demands. Earlier this year, Discord disclosed a data breach that exposed ID images belonging to approximately 70,000 users through a compromised third-party service, highlighting the security risks associated with storing sensitive identity information. In addition, they warn that expanding age-verification systems represent not only a usability challenge but a structural shift in how identity becomes tied to online behavior. Age verification risks tying users' "most sensitive and immutable data" — names, faces, birthdays, home addresses — to their online activity, according to Molly Buckley, a legislative analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  "Age verification strikes at the foundation of the free and open internet," she said.Even when vendors promise to safeguard personal information, users ultimately rely on contractual terms they rarely read or fully understand. "There's language in their terms-of-use policies that says if the information is requested by law enforcement, they'll hand it over. They can't confirm that they will always forever be the only entity who has all of this information. Everyone needs to understand that their baseline information is not something under their control," Tandy said. As more platforms route age checks through third-party vendors, that concentration of identity data is also creating new legal exposure for the companies that rely on them. "A company is going to have some of that information passing through their own servers," Tandy said. "And you can't offload that kind of liability to a third party." Companies can distribute risk through contracts and insurance, she said, but they remain responsible for how identity systems interact with their infrastructure. "What you can do is have really good insurance and require really good insurance from the entities that you're contracting with," she said. Tandy also cautioned that retention promises can be more complex than they appear. "If they say they're holding it for three years, that's the minimum amount of time they're holding it for," she said. "I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting a company that says, 'We delete everything one day after three years.' That is not going to happen," she added. Legal battles are not overFederal and state regulators argue that age-verification laws are primarily a response to documented harms to minors and insist the rules must operate under strict privacy and security safeguards. An FTC spokesperson told CNBC that companies must limit how collected information is used. While age-verification technologies can help parents protect children online, the agency said firms are still bound by existing consumer protection rules governing data minimization, retention, and security. The agency pointed to existing rules requiring firms to retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary and to safeguard its confidentiality and integrity.  watch nowVIDEO5:4005:40We've seen a 'TikTokification' of social media over the last few years, says NYU's Joshua TuckerSquawk Box According to Rae Pickett, a spokesperson from the Virginia attorney general's office — one of the states that has been actively enforcing age-verification laws — officials view strong verification and data-handling standards as inseparable parts of protecting young users and ensuring age-appropriate online experiences. She pointed to litigation against Meta and TikTok as evidence that inadequate safeguards can expose young users to harmful content and experiences. Under the Virginia law, companies collecting verification data cannot use it for purposes beyond age determination and must maintain security practices appropriate to the sensitivity of the information under the state's Consumer Data Protection Act. However, Virginia's effort suffered a legal setback when a federal court at least temporarily blocked enforcement of its law last week, siding with a First Amendment challenge brought by a trade group representing major social media companies. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement to CNBC after the court decision that the AG's office "will use every tool available to us to ensure that Virginia's children are protected from the proven harms of unlimited access to these addictive feeds. We look forward to being able to fully enforce the law to keep families safe."Buckley says legislators do not need to sacrifice their constituents' First Amendment rights and privacy to make a safer internet and address many of the harms these proposals seek to mitigate. In fact, according to the EFF analyst, many lawmakers have recognized these approaches, such as data minimization, in existing age-verification proposals. But if legislators want to meaningfully improve online safety instead of building new systems of surveillance, censorship, and exclusion, she said they should pass a strong, comprehensive federal privacy law that protects and empowers all internet users to control how our data is collected.'A permanent feature of online life'In some countries, age verification laws may already require platforms to use methods like facial age estimation or ID checks, including in the UK, Australia, and soon in Brazil.Major platforms based in the U.S. are staking out positions on how age verification should be implemented, though not without controversy, as the Discord example suggests, and coming after years of lawsuits alleging weak efforts to keep their sites safe for children. Discord said in explaining its delayed global rollout that other than in countries where national laws require certain methods of verification, over 90% of users will never need to verify their age by any methods other than its existing internal safety systems that do not require user action. Though its CTO noted in the recent blog post, "We know many of you believe the right answer is not to do this at all."Discord said it is using the additional time this year to add more verification options, including credit cards, more transparency on vendors and technical detail of how age verification will work, and once the system goes into effect, it will publish details on the percentage of users asked to verify age in its existing transparency reports. Snap, which operates Snapchat, said it supports alternative approaches that reduce the need for platforms to collect identity information directly. "We believe there are better, more privacy-conscious solutions such as mandating age verification at the primary point of entry — the device, operating system, or app store level," a Snap spokesperson told CNBC. Meta and Google did not respond to requests for comment. According to Tandy, as more states adopt age-verification mandates and companies race to comply, the infrastructure behind those systems is likely to become a permanent fixture of online life. Taken together, industry leaders say the rapid spread of age-verification laws may push platforms toward systems that verify age once and reuse that credential across services. "The way the trend is moving is definitely toward some kind of persistent verification of a user's age," Kaufmann said. In other words, a digital proof of age that travels with the user across platforms. Tandy said over time, once a system confirms someone's age, it may not need to ask again. She compared the model to ecosystems such as Disney accounts, where a user's age is established once and then recognized across its services rather than being rechecked every time they log in, even years later. For adults, that means an internet where identity verification is no longer occasional friction but a built-in layer of everyday access.  Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

TipRanks compiles some of the best stocks to own amid the current volatility, according to the Street's top analysts. View More

In this articleNVDAMUPANWFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT A worker stands atop a metro construction site near U.S. chipmaker Nvidia Corp.'s office in Bengaluru, India, Jan. 7, 2026.Idrees Mohammed | Afp | Getty Images The stock market continues to be volatile as investors digest developments related to the U.S.-Iran conflict, artificial intelligence disruption fears and concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom. Investors seeking solid stock picks in this backdrop can turn to the recommendations of top Wall Street analysts for useful insights. These experts look beyond short-term pressures and focus on a company's ability to deliver strong returns over the long term. Here are three stocks favored by some of Wall Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.Nvidia Semiconductor giant Nvidia (NVDA) is this week's first pick. Following a meeting with Nvidia's CFO Colette Kress, UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri reiterated a buy rating on Nvidia stock with a price target of $245. In comparison, TipRanks' AI Analyst has an "outperform" with a price target of $230. Arcuri stated that following the meeting, he is bullish on Nvidia's networking growth and long-term margins. He noted that NVDA is very upbeat about its networking expansion. Management indicated that the company already sees itself as the largest global networking player, with the target to surpass the combined revenue of other networking semiconductor suppliers by the end of 2026. With regard to gross margin, the five-star analyst highlighted that NVDA expects some variance in the near term due to new program launches. Management sees 75% as a good long-term target for gross margin and is not currently aiming for a significantly higher level above 75%. Nvidia expects compute performance and TCO (total cost of ownership) improvements, along with enhanced customer economics in each generation, to help sustain strength in margins over the longer term.Among other key takeaways, Arcuri mentioned that while Nvidia expects upside to the $550 billion backlog for Blackwell and Rubin, it doesn't intend to continue to update this figure. This is because management believes that customer focus has moved to 2027 buildouts, with the company seeing continued strength in compute demand. Nvidia's confidence about compute buildouts is backed by its optimism about the capex sustainability of hyperscalers, thanks to their solid balance sheets and cash flow-generating capabilities. "Management also sees financing mechanisms expanding from straight capex to leases, SPVs and other vehicles," said Arcuri. Arcuri ranks No. 5 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 76% of the time, delivering an average return of 41.7%. See Nvidia Stock Buybacks on TipRanks.Palo Alto Networks We move on to Palo Alto Networks (PANW), a cybersecurity company. Recently, TD Cowen analyst Shaul Eyal reaffirmed a buy rating on PANW stock with a price target of $255 following a virtual meeting with the company's senior vice president of investor relations and strategic finance. TipRanks' AI Analyst is also bullish on PANW stock, with an outperform rating and a price target of $181. Eyal noted that Palo Alto continues to see strong demand for security vendors with a unified platform ecosystem, which integrates multiple security functions, particularly network security, SASE (secure access service edge), endpoint and SIEM (security information and event management). The five-star analyst considers growing adoption of agentic AI as the next potential secular catalyst for Palo Alto. The analyst explained that as agentic AI becomes embedded across business operations, companies might prefer security tool consolidation for dealing with cyberattacks, as relying on conventional, fragmented tools may not be effective in protecting autonomous systems. Eyal's call with the management also highlighted the factors driving strength in SASE. Specifically, customers who first adopted SASE during the pandemic are now reevaluating their architecture and vendors, allowing Palo Alto to capture market share as clients look for a more comprehensive solution. Moreover, PANW's Prisma Browser and a strong go-to-market (GTM) execution backed by an experienced sales team are also driving SASE sales. Finally, Eyal noted, "Opportunistic tuck-in acquisitions on an annual basis will remain an integral part of achieving $20B in NGS ARR [next-generation security annual recurring revenue] by FY30."Eyal ranks No. 393 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 56% of the time, delivering an average return of 17.2%. See Palo Alto Networks Ownership Structure on TipRanks.Micron TechnologyMemory and data storage solutions provider Micron Technology (MU) is scheduled to announce its fiscal second-quarter results on March 18. The company is benefiting from AI-led demand for its products and rising memory prices. Ahead of the results, Stifel analyst Brian Chin reiterated a buy rating on Micron stock and boosted his price target to $550 from $360. TipRanks' AI Analyst has an outperform rating on MU stock with a price target of $497. "Memory pricing is hitting levels we did not envision, evidence of the widening/persistent gap between supply and demand," said Chin. The five-star analyst believes that the real opportunity for Micron is not just high-bandwidth memory (HBM) but the server DDR5 product. In fact, Chin expects the company's DDR5 RDIMM product's gross margin to expand more than 80%, significantly surpassing the HBM margin. Meanwhile, Chin doesn't expect the strength in memory pricing to fade, as supply checks continue to indicate that memory supply will remain relatively fixed over the near term. He contends that consensus expectations are too low and underestimate the extent of upward revision potential in the quarters ahead. The analyst highlighted that his revised estimates reflect solid average selling price (ASP)-driven growth across Micron's cloud, data center and mobile/client segments. While industry bit growth may be modest in Q1 2026, Chin expects higher pricing across segments to boost gross margins. Chin ranks No. 176 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 66% of the time, delivering an average return of 34.5%. See Micron Technology Financials on TipRanks. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

G7 finance ministers and central bank governors are set to convene for a key meeting as diplomatic tensions escalate over the Iran conflict. View More

The flags of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union ahead of the Group of Seven (G-7) Leaders' Summit in Banff, Alberta, Canada, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The war in Iran will present the G7 countries with one of the most significant diplomatic tests in modern history. The group - comprising the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom - has come under strain during both of U.S. President Donald Trump's tenures. However, the decision by Washington and Tel Aviv to attack Iran on Feb. 28 and trigger a widespread wave of strikes across the Middle East and international military bases in the region, will test the alliance under extreme circumstances. Aftermath of an Israeli and the U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour | Via Reuters France, which currently holds the G7 presidency, has called an emergency meeting to address the Middle East. Finance Minister Roland Lescure said he and his counterparts, as well as G7 central bank governors, will meet over the coming days. Speaking to Franceinfo radio, he said: "I have spoken to various counterparts, in particular [U.S. Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent ... to discuss the state of the situation, so we can assess any responses that might be needed." Diplomacy in tatters The dispute between the U.S. and Spain will be a particular source of tension. Madrid's refusal to allow the U.S. military access to its bases has led Trump to threaten to "cut off all trade with Spain", while Bessent told CNBC that "the Spanish put American lives at risk." European leaders have rallied around Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in a bid to protect Europe's sovereignty. However, each G7 nation is also navigating their own path through this international dispute. watch nowVIDEO19:5519:55Watch CNBC's full interview with Treasury Secretary Scott BessentSquawk Box France First With an election year just around the corner, France is walking a particularly high-stakes line. President Emmanuel Macron branded the U.S.-Israel led attacks as "outside the framework of international law", while also pledging to strengthen its nuclear arsenal to protect Europe, sending an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean for deterrence. But the prospect of how persistently higher energy prices could impact inflation at home at a sensitive time for the economy is also influencing Macron's response. Finance Minister Roland Lescure, who will lead the G7 meeting, said "in a conflict that has global repercussions, it is obviously essential that we coordinate."Emmanuel Macron spelled out a pivot in France's nuclear strategy. Here's why it's so significant Germany's grip on Europe Germany has taken a more diplomatic tack, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying "now is not the time to lecture our partners and allies," ahead of his meeting with President Trump in Washington D.C. last week. However, the economic reality of a prolonged war in the Middle East is already of concern to Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, who is expected to attend the G7 talks this week. He told CNBC's Annette Weisbach that "this war is a burden for the economy in Germany, in Europe and for the whole world." watch nowVIDEO5:5805:58Bundesbank President: This war is a burden on the global economySquawk Box Europe Starmer's special relationship In the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been criticized for his cautious response to the attack on Iran.Speaking last week, he said that Britain's so-called 'special relationship' is in "operation right now," but stood but his decision not to join any strikes on Tehran. For his part, Trump sent Starmer a scathing message over the weekend."The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That's OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don't need them any longer," Trump said in a Truth Social post."But we will remember. We don't need people that join Wars after we've already won!," Trump added.U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, who is expected to join the G7 meeting over the coming days, was made to defend her Spring Statement as the "right economic plan in a world that has become yet more uncertain" despite surging energy costs. The Market View With such a complicated diplomatic picture, the markets have ridden out a volatile period with their focus firmly on the energy sector. As investors brace for more headlines during the upcoming trading sessions, here are some key takeaways on what to expect for markets: Goldman Sach: "Energy supply disruptions have led to an unfavorable combination of higher energy prices and weaker risk sentiment, with the sharp rise in European natural gas prices especially in focus for European currencies. Higher gas prices will add incremental near-term inflation pressure in European and Asian economies, impacts on the US would likely remain limited given reliance on domestic supply."Barclays: "Despite the rise in tensions, most non‑U.S. equity indices remain close to their highs, leaving markets exposed to any further deterioration in the situation. If Brent crude moves toward $100 per barrel due to supply concerns, the Stoxx 600 could fall by roughly 8% to around 550."Deutsche Bank: "The Iran situation is the focal point for markets right now, but so far at least, we are not at thresholds that have historically been consistent with a recession or a bigger market downturn." Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.