Markets enter March following another losing week that saw airline stocks hammered as heightened geopolitical tensions from the U.S.-Israel military attack on Iran, which has disrupted Middle East airspace and fueled oil price volatility, compounded investor caution. A surprisingly hot inflation reading dragged equities lower as February trading wrapped up, leaving major indexes under pressure heading into the new month.
The volatile close to the month sets a challenging tone for the week ahead, which centers on Friday's February jobs report at 8:30am that will provide important insights into labor market health amid geopolitical uncertainty and persistent inflation concerns.
