News 4 March 2026

POLE Stock Is Quiet. Andretti Acquisition II’s September Deadline Is Not
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POLE Stock Is Quiet. Andretti Acquisition II’s September Deadline Is Not

Andretti Acquisition Corp. II’s Class A shares (POLE) closed at $10.71 on Thursday, down 0.3% with just 3,504 shares traded. The company, a SPAC, faces a Sept. 9 deadline to complete a business combination or risk liquidation, with filings citing “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue. Its planned merger with StoreDot was terminated in February. Andretti reported $246.4 million in its trust account as of March 31.
May 28, 2026
SoFi’s SoFiUSD stablecoin gets a Mastercard settlement lane — and traders are watching
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SoFi’s SoFiUSD stablecoin gets a Mastercard settlement lane — and traders are watching

SoFi said it will let clients settle Mastercard card transactions using its SoFiUSD stablecoin, expanding a partnership with Mastercard. SoFi Bank and Galileo clients are expected to get the option first. The announcement follows CEO Anthony Noto’s $1 million SoFi share purchase last week. SoFiUSD is not FDIC-insured and is backed 1:1 by cash or equivalents.
March 4, 2026
VA Debt Relief Program for Veterans? Here’s Why Credit Card Debt Usually Won’t Be Forgiven
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VA Debt Relief Program for Veterans? Here’s Why Credit Card Debt Usually Won’t Be Forgiven

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not offer general debt relief for veterans’ credit cards or private loans, CBS News reported. Relief from the VA applies mainly to debts owed to the agency itself, such as benefit overpayments. Military families are more likely than civilians to carry high credit card balances, according to Armed Forces Bank. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps interest on pre-service debts at 6% for active-duty members.
March 4, 2026
Nvidia’s $4 billion photonics bet: why its Lumentum and Coherent deals matter now
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Nvidia’s $4 billion photonics bet: why its Lumentum and Coherent deals matter now

Nvidia will invest $2 billion each in Lumentum and Coherent under multiyear optics deals, securing supply of lasers and optical networking components for AI data centers. Shares of Lumentum rose 5%, Coherent 9% after the news. The agreements include multibillion-dollar purchase commitments and capacity rights. Nvidia plans to detail its strategy at the GTC conference in San Jose starting March 16.
March 4, 2026
BNAI stock jumps as Brand Engagement Network puts its AI Concierge live at Armenia’s Dvin resort
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BNAI stock jumps as Brand Engagement Network puts its AI Concierge live at Armenia’s Dvin resort

Brand Engagement Network shares rose 23% to $52.30 in premarket trading after announcing a live guest trial of its AI concierge at Seven Visions Resort & Places, The Dvin in Yerevan, Armenia. The system routes guest requests for room service, housekeeping, and bookings directly to hotel staff. The rollout covers select rooms and uses QR codes and messaging. The company’s market value is about $249 million.
March 4, 2026
Alibaba’s Qwen AI boss steps down as exits hit key model team
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Alibaba’s Qwen AI boss steps down as exits hit key model team

Lin Junyang, head of Alibaba’s Qwen AI division, said he is stepping down, marking the third senior departure from the team this year. Alibaba shares fell about 4% in Hong Kong trading on Wednesday. The company has released over 400 Qwen models since 2023, downloaded more than 1 billion times, according to Chinese media. The reasons for Lin’s exit were not disclosed.
March 4, 2026
Sea Limited shares slide after Shopee spending jump and cooler 2026 growth target
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Sea Limited shares slide after Shopee spending jump and cooler 2026 growth target

Sea Limited’s U.S.-listed shares fell 16.5% Tuesday after the company warned of higher costs and slower 2026 growth for Shopee’s sales volume. Operating expenses jumped over 28% to $2.43 billion in the December quarter, with marketing costs up at Shopee and Monee. Shopee’s gross merchandise value reached $36.7 billion, up 30.5%. Citi and Maybank called the sell-off an “overreaction” but flagged near-term profit concerns.
March 4, 2026
Iran war rattles oil, gold and stocks again as Seoul crashes and Wall Street hunts for an off‑ramp
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Iran war rattles oil, gold and stocks again as Seoul crashes and Wall Street hunts for an off‑ramp

South Korea’s KOSPI closed down 12% Wednesday, triggering circuit breakers, as Asian stocks fell and Brent crude held at $83.76 a barrel amid Iran conflict fears. Gold rebounded 1.5% to $5,155 an ounce. U.S. futures steadied after reports of indirect Iran-U.S. outreach, while Europe’s STOXX 600 gained 0.6%. Samsung and SK Hynix shares each dropped about 20% this week.
March 4, 2026
Lam Research stock slides after CFO stock sale; Bettinger talks $135 billion chip-tool market
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Lam Research stock slides after CFO stock sale; Bettinger talks $135 billion chip-tool market

Lam Research shares fell about 6% in premarket trading Wednesday after filings showed CFO Doug Bettinger sold $9.3 million in stock and Chief Legal Officer Ava Harter sold 4,000 shares. Neither sale was under a preset trading plan. Bettinger told a Morgan Stanley conference he expects wafer-fab equipment spending to reach $135 billion in 2026. Lam goes ex-dividend Wednesday, with a $0.26 per share payout set for April 8.
March 4, 2026
Nuburu (BURU) signs Maddox Defense JV for mobile 3D printing of drone parts
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Nuburu (BURU) signs Maddox Defense JV for mobile 3D printing of drone parts

Nuburu signed a binding joint venture with Maddox Defense to develop a mobile 3D-printing system for drone and defense parts, funding up to $4 million for Phase I. The partners plan to form a 60/40 commercialization company if initial tests succeed. Nuburu shares traded at $0.28 pre-market. The company recently completed a reverse stock split after a trading halt on NYSE American.
March 4, 2026
Korea stocks crash 12% as Iran war spikes oil and rewrites rate-cut bets
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Korea stocks crash 12% as Iran war spikes oil and rewrites rate-cut bets

South Korea’s KOSPI plunged 12% Wednesday, its largest one-day drop on record, as chip stocks tumbled and the Iran conflict sent oil prices higher. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each fell about 20% this week. Wall Street and Asian markets saw sharp swings, with traders focused on the Strait of Hormuz and inflation risks. Europe stabilized, but Spain lagged after U.S. trade threats linked to Iran.
March 4, 2026
ServiceNow closes Veza deal: the $1.25B identity-security bet tied to AI agents
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ServiceNow closes Veza deal: the $1.25B identity-security bet tied to AI agents

ServiceNow closed its acquisition of identity security firm Veza on March 2, integrating Veza’s access controls into its Security and Risk products. Veza, based in Los Gatos, California, has 230 employees and nearly 150 enterprise customers. ServiceNow registered 854,359 shares for Veza employees as part of the deal, previously valued at about $1.25 billion in cash. Financial terms were not updated at closing.
March 4, 2026
New Zealand puts Kimberly-Clark’s Kenvue takeover under review — the March 17 deadline to watch
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New Zealand puts Kimberly-Clark’s Kenvue takeover under review — the March 17 deadline to watch

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has launched a competition review of Kimberly-Clark’s planned acquisition of Kenvue, with a decision expected by April 28. Kimberly-Clark has offered to divest Kenvue’s feminine hygiene business in New Zealand and Australia. The Commission set a March 17 deadline for public submissions. Kimberly-Clark shares fell 4.7% in U.S. premarket trading.
March 4, 2026
State Farm’s $5B Auto Insurance Cash-Back Reaches Georgia: $135 a Vehicle on Average
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State Farm’s $5B Auto Insurance Cash-Back Reaches Georgia: $135 a Vehicle on Average

State Farm will pay nearly $279 million to Georgia auto policyholders as a dividend averaging $135 per vehicle, Georgia’s insurance commissioner said Tuesday. The payout is part of a $5 billion national dividend, the insurer’s largest, with payments starting this summer. State Farm cited improved underwriting and lower repair costs. The dividend applies to certain policies active as of Dec. 31, 2025.
March 4, 2026
Moderna’s $2.25 billion patent settlement: the deal that ends a COVID vaccine fight and reshapes its pipeline
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Moderna’s $2.25 billion patent settlement: the deal that ends a COVID vaccine fight and reshapes its pipeline

Moderna will pay up to $2.25 billion to settle a patent dispute with Genevant Sciences and Arbutus Biopharma over lipid nanoparticle technology in its COVID-19 vaccine, avoiding a Delaware trial. The settlement includes a $950 million upfront payment and up to $1.3 billion more tied to an appeal. Moderna shares rose over 10% after the news. The deal grants Moderna a global license for certain infectious-disease vaccines.
March 4, 2026
British American Tobacco share price rebounds — buybacks, UK vape bill and oil shock in focus
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British American Tobacco share price rebounds — buybacks, UK vape bill and oil shock in focus

British American Tobacco shares rose 0.7% in early London trading after Tuesday’s 3.3% drop, as the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill returned to the House of Lords. The company disclosed a buyback of 92,891 shares on March 2 for cancellation. Lawmakers backed new enforcement funding and penalties in the bill, which faces its next session on March 5. Investors also watch BAT’s late-March ex-dividend date and U.S. vape enforcement.
March 4, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Investing $5,000 Yearly in ASX Shares: Can It Build Wealth?
    May 28, 2026, 4:53 PM EDT. Investing $5,000 annually into ASX shares with an average 9% return, while not guaranteed, can grow significantly due to compounding - where earnings generate their own earnings. After 20 years, such investments could reach around $280,000, and after 30 years, approximately $740,000. At 34 years, the portfolio might surpass $1 million without increasing the annual contribution. Experts recommend a diversified approach, such as using ASX ETFs like Vanguard's MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), combined with select quality stocks. The key is discipline, patience, and allowing time to harness compounding effects across market cycles.