3 Must Reads Before Monday's Market Open
Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance
So far this year my 26 Stocks I’m Watching For 2026 is beating the S&P 500 average by about 8%. This comes after last year, where my 25 Stocks I’m Watching For 2025 beat the piss out of the average by more than 50%.
Before we roll around to the cash open on Monday, get your head in the game in a way the sell side or financial media isn’t going to tell you about. We’re at war with Iran, private credit could be the ice that breaks under the market, and a run on bank stocks appears to have started on Friday. I wanted to make sure these three articles are on your radar if you’re trying to make sense of where markets head next.
First, what will the Iran war do to markets? The way I see it, there are two very different paths that are possible here. This piece walks through both scenarios — what to watch, how markets typically react to geopolitical shocks, and where the real risks may be hiding when trading opens — and lets you make up your own mind:
What War With Iran Means For Markets Monday
🔥 80% Off | Today: For the rest of the weekend take 80% off an annual subscription to my Substack — and keep the discount forever — using this coupon: Get 80% off forever
And the rest of the market finally appears to be noticing what I’ve been writing about for months. The selloff in BDCs, private credit and banks isn’t random — it’s a signal. In this breakdown, I connect the dots between tightening credit conditions, liquidity stress, and why weakness in financials can ripple outward far more quickly than investors expect.
Banks Sell Off Hard: This Is How Credit Cracks
Finally, a softer CPI print grabbed headlines earlier this month — but the hotter PPI report tells a more complicated story. This tension shouldn’t be ignored. Inflation data is sending mixed signals, and that confusion matters for rates, equities, and positioning into the second half of the year.
Still Not Out Of The Woods
Here’s what else is new on the blog:
“Blizzard” Gives NYC Mayor Mamdani Pretext For A “Climate Lockdown”
“A Perfect Storm For Silver”: Comex Supplies Continue To Shrink Rapidly
QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.
This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. If you see numbers and calculations of any sort, assume they are wrong and double check them. I failed Algebra in 8th grade and topped off my high school math accolades by getting a D- in remedial Calculus my senior year, before becoming an English major in college so I could bullshit my way through things easier. I am an investor in Mark’s fund.
The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.




