Author: Timothy St. John

Timothy St John is a seasoned financial analyst and writer, catering to the dynamic landscapes of the US and European markets. Boasting over a decade of extensive freelance writing experience, he has made significant contributions to reputable platforms such as Yahoo!Finance, business.com: Expert Business Advice, Tips, and Resources - Business.com, and numerous others. Timothy's expertise lies in in-depth research and comprehensive coverage of stock and cryptocurrency movements, coupled with a keen understanding of the economic factors influencing currency dynamics. Timothy majored in English at East Tennessee State University, and you can find him on LinkedIn.

Bitcoin Holds Steady at $70K after Bringing down Crypto Market

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Friday morning, the majority of the leading cryptocurrencies were trending lower, with Bitcoin (BTC) down 4.8% for the week and Ethereum (ETH) falling 2.66%.

Cryptocurrency is starting to climb back after a sharp dropoff this week.

Bitcoin lost nearly 5% of its value this past week as metals fluctuated, oil climbed, and stocks dipped. Now at $70,014 (BTC/USD), the BTC rate is about 44% below its all-time high from back in October and is struggling to regain a foothold above $70K.

[[BTC/USD]]

As Bitcoin moves, so too does much of the crypto market, and this week BNB (BNB lost more than 5% of its value while Dogecoin (DOGE) dropped 5.5%. Other leading crypto tokens were also bearish for the week, with most of their declines happening near the tail end after missile attacks in Iran and Qatar threatened the global oil supply.

Bitcoin Set to Outperform Gold in 2026?

According to some analysts, the metals market is not likely to have as good of a year in 2026 as Bitcoin. Of course, Bitcoin ended the year poorly, well below its $126K record high. Gold performed very well, on the other hand, but has slowed this year.

As metals became more volatile in 2026, Bitcoin has experienced some weakness, and the two movements may be very closely related, says Thomas Lee, the chairman of BitMine Immersion and CIO of Fundstrat. According to his predictions, gold has topped out while Bitcoin is likely to reach as high as $200,000 this year.

We have already seen some excellent gains from the coin this year, with marked improvement from its early February low of $62.7K. Even during the ongoing Iran conflict, Bitcoin has managed to reclaim lost ground and perform more impressively than the stock market.

Recent slowdown is seen as just a bump in the road on the way to greater gains to come. Investor sentiment is better now than it was last month, and Bitcoin is likely to ride that consumer confidence to a new record high in 2026.

Bitcoin has already regained its place above $70K after a drop to $68.9K on Thursday. The coin started to do better on Friday after several countries issued statements about the conflict in Iran. Israel’s prime minister said that the war there may be ending soon and that opening the Strait of Hormuz is a priority. Leaders from Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and France have all condemned Iran’s missile attacks and have vowed to open up the Strait as well.

Bitcoin is posting larger gains Friday morning than SOL, XRP, ETH and others this morning, but it appears the market is starting to recover from Thursday’s decline. Investors should expect the crypto market to improve over the weekend as global solidarity against Iran works to open up shipping routes.

S&P 500 Set for Fourth Consecutive Week of Losses

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Oil prices reversed and began climbing again on Friday, forcing stocks lower and pushing the S&P 500 index toward its fourth consecutive losing week.

The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and is causing oil prices to climb while stocks dip.

The selling pressure for the oil market eased slightly on Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was working with the United States to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. He said there may be an end to the conflict sooner than expected, but as the market opened on Friday, oil prices jumped while stock prices fell.

The Dow dropped 1.2% on Friday in early trading while the S&P 500 fell 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite stayed mostly flat with a decline of just 0.1%. Now, the S&P 500 is looking at its fourth week in a row of losses, caused primarily by the fighting in Iran but also by apex fears for leading technology companies.

The Strait of Hormuz Needs to Open for Stocks to Climb

Iran has now been fighting with the United States and Israel for nearly three weeks, pulling in Qatar and other countries in the area with missile strikes. The conflict has also seriously hampered the transportation and production of oil and gas around the world.

West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 0.7% and nearly hit $97 per barrel. Brent crude oil futures rose 1.7% Friday and reached $110 per barrel. Those prices may continue to rise as the conflict continues, and that could also keep pressing stock futures lower as consumers fear economic tightening.

On Friday, the stock market is facing a quadruple witching event. This is a period when index options, stock options, single-stock futures, and index futures all expire at the same time, and it happens four times each year. The result is usually high trade volume and quick shifts in momentum that lead to increased volatility.

Investors are looking for the Strait of Hormuz to open again and for shipping to resume in the region. That is the major deciding factor that will allow the stock market to regain its upward momentum from earlier in the year and for indices to start to hit the record highs that they were enjoying back in February. Some analysts predict that the Strait will reopen in a few weeks and that the market will not have to wait months for this to happen. That is Scott Wren’s prediction, and the Wells Fargo global market strategist says that the Strait is the one factor that near-term action is counting on.

Solana Falls Hard after Strong Week; New SOL Price Prediction

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Thursday, Solana (SOL) fell 0.86% but has not lost all of its recent gains. This has been a great week for the coin, and it is still up 3.55% over the last seven days.

Solana fell today with the rest of the crypto market and the stock market on elevated inflation.

Solana’s trade volume is dropping as the coin loses much of what it gained between Sunday and Wednesday this week. Much of the crypto market is down at the moment, pushed into sharp drop-offs by fighting in Iran and the Federal Reserve’s warning on inflation.

[[SOL/USD]]

This week, the Fed met about monetary policy, and they decided not to move ahead with any interest rate cuts due to elevated inflation and the conflict in Iran. As understandable as that may be, the Fed’s weighing in on these strong market factors hurt crypto investor sentiment and sank a number of tokens.

Solana Loses Important Level

On Sunday, Solana was able to regain the $93 level that had eluded it for about 40 days. This indicated a bullish pattern that might have extended further if it were not for the Iran conflict escalation this week as well as the Fed’s reading on inflation.

Now, Solana is in a potentially tricky spot where investors are worried if it can gain back that $93 level. The Solana rate is at $88.84 (SOL/USD) for now, but that is rapidly changing. Trade volume over the last 24 hours is around $3.7 billion, and traders are very active with the coin today.

The good news for investors is that the SOL price has not dropped as much as the price of other competing crypto coins, indicating its stability and potential to regain lost ground quickly. Bitcoin (BTC) lost 1.32% over the last day, while Ethereum (ETH) dropped 2.41% in that same period. Meanwhile, Hyperliquid (HYPE) is down 4.77% and Cardano (ADA) dropped 2%.

Solana may just be in a short-term squeeze that passes quickly, and there is a strong possibility that it is back up to $93K or higher by the weekend. Investor confidence for Solana is high and could rise rapidly in the next few days if it continues to outperform other crypto tokens.

Micron Technology Stock Severely Impacted by Earnings Report

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Micron Technology (MU) posted incredible earnings that would typically ensure a massive stock jump, but their $23.86 billion in earnings for the second quarter netted them a 6.6% stock drop.

High capex spending sinks Micron Technology stock after their Q2 report.

Technology stocks took another hit this week as Micron Technology reported excellent earnings but then took a hit on capex (capital expenditure) spending. Their stock is currently down 4% after a small recovery from the previous day’s sharp drop. Their Q2 earnings should have earned them a stock rally, but investors are worried about their spending.

Huge earnings were not sufficient to keep their stock from dropping in an environment where tech stocks are under severe scrutiny. Analysts from Citi say that the downward movement indicates “some profit taking after a strong run.”

Micron Technology Earnings Hurt AI Stock Chances

In the last quarter, Micron Technology tripled their revenue for sales of high performance, high memory chips and semiconductors. They have stepped into the gap created by an unusually high demand for memory supply storage. Their corner of the AI market is very lucrative right now, and their stock grew 350% over the last 12 months.

However, the company is one of many that is facing shareholders and investors who are worried about capex spending. The concern is that Micron Technology and other companies in the AI space are spending millions and sometimes even billions to buy high end components and develop the latest artificial intelligence technology. This is cutting into their profits severely, so even when they make billions, the shareholders want to know how sustainable that model is.

If Micron Technology wanted to dispel false rumors about their capital expenditure, they would release financial statements to that effect. But the information investors have access to online tells them that the company is already planning to spend more than $25 billion in capex.

Investors may still want to buy into this stock, especially since it has seen incredible growth over the last year. Buying the dip now may be a smart move, and Micron Technology has already proven they can multiply their gains from quarter to quarter. They had a very strong quarter, and their guidance for the coming months is well beyond what Wall Street estimates predicted.

Iran Attacks Cause Natural Gas Futures to Jump 5%

Posted on March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Natural gas gained 5% on Thursday following further fighting between Iran and Israel in the Middle East, with the two countries striking at gas fields and production plants.

LNG futures climb higher on rising tensions in the Middle East.

Natural gas futures are now at $3.2 per MMBtu in the United States, with an increase of 5% from the previous day. The upswing started after Iran sent a retaliatory strike against Israel by sending missiles to devastate the largest LNG export plant in the world- Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City.

This move could dramatically affect the global supply of LNG, and although the United States may not rely on gas from that part of the world, many other countries do. They may come knocking on the United States’ door asking for supplies soon.

The Global Demand for LNG May Swiftly Increase

LNG futures have turned their losses around, but investors should still keep in mind that the latest EIA report showed that only 38 billion cubic feet of gas was withdrawn from domestic sources. That was lower than the 42 million expected, and the local demand for LNG remains low and continues to fall.

As the weather across the United States warms, there is little need for LNG production plants to provide gas at the same level they were back in January. The missile attacks in the Middle East have had little bearing on local LNG resources, but that could change soon.

If the fighting persists and more facilities, gas fields, and shipments are attacked, then the global supply of natural gas could be in jeopardy. The area where fighting is taking place right now accounts for about 20% of the LNG supply of the world, and if countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa start to experience a gas crisis, they may come calling on U.S. exporters to help them out.

Before the war in Iran started, U.S. LNG export numbers were dropping. Now that gas futures are rising, it is fair to say that the market expects that situation to change.

Brent crude oil rose 6% and hit as high as $114 per barrel this week. The West Texas Intermediate benchmark rose 0.5% Thursday and climbed to just below $96 per barrel. Investors should expect oil prices to continue to increase drastically, even beyond the 16% increase that the European market has experienced since the beginning of the Iran conflict.

Bitcoin below $70K, New BTC Price Prediction for Falling Token

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) lost more than 3% over the last day and continues to plummet after feeling selling pressure from the market due to the escalating Middle East conflict.

Bitcoin is being pressed down by investors fleeing the crypto market.

High inflation caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on further interest rate cuts, and fighting worsened in the Middle East with retaliatory strikes between Israel and Iran. As a result, Bitcoin dropped swiftly and fell below $70K to $69,300 (BTC/USD).

[[BTC/USD]]

Bitcoin has been on a losing streak for a couple days now, dropping from a high of $75,692 to its current low point. Trade volume has dropped to $48.3 billion from its previous high this week of more than $55 billion per 24 hours.

Bitcoin Is Falling Harder Than the Rest of the Market

Earlier in the week, Bitcoin pulled up the entire cryptocurrency market with its gains, but now that it is falling, there are few coins among the leading tokens that are falling as sharply. Ethereum (ETH) dropped 4.2% over the last day but is still up more than 3% for the week. XRP lost 0.62% today but is still ahead by 5.2% for the week.

The losses that Bitcoin has sustained are worse than its competitors in many cases because Bitcoin has had such a hard time getting back up to $75K in recent months. It has just continued to fall and has not been able to hold onto gains until recently. Now that it has dropped below $70K, though, the coin could be in trouble.

We may see declining investor sentiment and less interest in helping the coin to rally now. While the BTC rate may climb above $70K later today, it will struggle to regain the momentum from earlier in the week. Investors have watched Bitcoin fall from one position after another and then when it started to gain some upward momentum, the coin fell harder than the competition.

Bitcoin is certainly not bullish right now, but is it about to enter a bearish trend? The likeliest scenario is that Bitcoin struggles to hold onto its current level but then regains some of that lost ground over the next few days. As we move further away from the Fed’s decision on rate cuts and the most recent gas field strikes in Iran, Bitcoin may find some room to breathe.

Dow down 300 Points on Fed Decision

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Wednesday, the Dow fell more than 700 points, and on Thursday, the decline continued with the loss of another 300 points after the Federal Reserve decided to wait on interest rate cuts.

Oil prices rose once more and pushed tock values down.

Inflation worries caused stock indices to dip on Thursday, with the Nasdaq losing 0.8% and the S&P 500 losing 0.7%. The Dow dropped 0.7% as well after Brent crude oil prices rose by 4% and the Federal Reserve cited inflation and the Iran conflict as reasons for not issuing interest rate cuts.

Any hope that the Fed would help lift the stock market this week has been erased, and we anticipate further decline into the weekend. Rising costs are certainly bothering consumers, and the February PPI came in higher than expected. The Fed issued a statement on Wednesday saying that inflation is still “somewhat elevated.”

Stock Decline on Gas Field Strike

One of the biggest factors influencing the stock market this week is the Israeli military strike on the world’s largest gas field at South Pars in Iran. Iran fought back by hitting energy facilities in Qatar, and President Donald Trump responded by saying that any more such attacks would result in the United States massively blowing up “the entirety of the South Pars gas field.”

Investors in the United States are rightly spooked by the ongoing conflict and the effect it could have on the oil and gas markets as well as the immediate knockdown effect on the stock market. As war continues and gas prices rise, investors are being more careful with their money and are becoming less willing to invest in stocks, cryptocurrency, and other potentially risky assets.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 1% on Thursday and hit $97 a barrel. Meanwhile, BP (BP) is up 2.58% for the day as energy companies profit off climbing prices. Chevron (CVX) added 0.40% to its total, hitting an all-time high at $199 per share.

One of the biggest losers this week, though, was Micron Technology (MU), which lost 6% after posting quarterly earnings. The company posted nearly triple the revenue from the previous quarter and yet still disappointed. Because investors were expecting it to do even better.

The Dow hit an intraday low on Wednesday, falling underneath its 200-day moving average. A few stocks may be peaking right now, but overall, the markets are low and under intense pressure and the Middle East conflict continues and inflation remains high.

Natural Gas Futures Jump after Oil Field Strike

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

U.S. LNG futures rose to $3.11 on Wednesday following a devastating military strike by Israeli forces on the Iranian oil field South Pars.

LNG futures are higher due to rising tensions in Iran.

Natural gas climbed 2.7% today as a result of an oil field strike in Iran, and oil skyrocketed to nearly $110 per barrel. These are considerable increases from the previous day when those numbers had dropped, and the market may be in for many similar surprises as the Iran conflict drags on.

South Pars is the largest oil field in the world, and the loss of some of its resources could be devastating to the long-term health of the oil and gas markets. The LNG market in the United States is less affected since domestic and South American suppliers meet most of their needs.

Trump’s Unprecedented Move

In order to ease the transportation of oil and gas to areas where it is badly needed during this ongoing crisis, President Donald Trump has temporarily waived the Jones Act. This legislation requires that goods being shipped on marine vessels between U.S. ports have an American flag on them. This slows down shipments and is specifically hard on the oil industry. With that act out of the way for now, shipping can occur much more rapidly and with fewer hindrances.

This can help shipping companies make up those oil and gas deficits at a time when those supplies are limited by fighting around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. This move should keep prices low and, coupled with the EIA’s decision to release 400 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves, the gas market is managing to pull through the conflict with lower prices than it would otherwise. Gas companies are meeting demand more easily and preventing drastic shortages that might occur without the help of the Trump administration and the EIA.

Warm weather and high production levels have also kept LNG futures low in the United States. Even with pressure on the gas markets around the world due to the Middle East conflict, we anticipate that LNG futures for the U.S. market will remain close to their current range, trading between $2.95 and $3.30 for the next few weeks.

In the wake of the gas field strike, Brent crude oil is up 4.9% and Henry Hub is up 3.9%. We anticipate strong fluctuations for the oil and gas markets in the coming weeks until the situation is resolved and shipping and production resume as normal.

Sharp Drop for Bitcoin and New Price Prediction

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin lost nearly 4% on Wednesday as it backpedaled from days of gains, hitting $71,272 (BTC/USD), and analysts think the recent gas field attacks are to blame.

Bitcoin lost $2,000 in value in less than two hours today.

This week, Bitcoin (BTC) spent much of its time close to $74K, but that changed quickly when the Iranian South Pars gas field was attacked by the Israeli military. Now, Iran is threatening to retaliate. Gas prices jumped in response, with Brent crude oil hitting $109 per barrel.

[[BTC/USD]]

This places Bitcoin in a precarious position where it is vulnerable to bearish movements. The coin may have lost much of its investor goodwill with the drop as it proves that it is just as susceptible to the Iranian conflict as the stock market despite weeks of resilience towards happenings there.

Bitcoin Lost Value at an Incredible Rate

On Wednesday morning, Bitcoin’s price dropped $2,000 per bitcoin in about an hour and a half. That is more than a sharp drop; it is the type of drop off that shatters perceptions and shifts the entire cryptocurrency market into a state of wariness and hesitancy.

The February Producer Price Index also influenced the price drop. The numbers reported were simply higher than expected. Wall Street anticipated an increase of 0.3% month over month, but the actual increase was 0.7%. That may seem miniscule, but the impact across the markets and in the pockets of Americans is significant. That leaves less money on the table for investors to spend on Bitcoin.

When that limiting factor is coupled with escalating conflict in Iran that could lead to an extended engagement Bitcoin has to give. Its bullish momentum was stopped, and the coin fell hard. The fighting in Iran could go on for months now, and longer conflicts lead to higher taxes to cover the cost of war. Lengthy fighting also creates a tighter economy as the market goes into war-time mode and limits available money to spend on risky assets.

Bitcoin may be under more serious selling pressure by the end of the day if the Fed rate decision is to keep the interest rate where it is. That seems the most likely scenario since gas prices are rising. Bitcoin may struggle to regain a foothold around $74K as it fights these several factors to reclaim recently lost gains.

Stock Tick up ahead of Federal Reserve Monetary Decision

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Wednesday, all three major U.S. stock indices added 0.1% leading into the day’s monetary policy decisions from the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve may not change the interest rate this week.

The Dow gained 0.1% on Wednesday morning in early trading, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both gained the same 0.1%. As has been the case since the Iran conflict started, stocks tend to rise when oil prices dip, and West Texas Intermediate futures fell to $94 a barrel on Wednesday- a decline of 1.5%.

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet later in the day and make a decision on interest rates. The vote could go either way- President Donald Trump has been pushing for rate cuts and the inflation rate has remained flat. On the other hand, inflation is still above the 2% that the Fed has been aiming for, and conflict in Iran could make matters worse.

Ongoing Conflict Causes Stock Prices to Fluctuate

The fighting in the Middle East has led to extreme price increases for the oil and gas industries, which in turn has created price fluctuations on the stock market. Stocks have been volatile for weeks as they move at the mercy of fluctuating oil prices.

President Trump has promised to protect ships passing through the dangerous Strait of Hormuz where Iranian forces have already destroyed one tanker. He has called on allies to form a coalition to assist, but reports say that not everyone asked is eager to help out.

Investors in the oil and stock markets are worried about the at-risk oil supply. With production facilities shutting down in Iran and nearby areas and shipping lanes becoming targets of opportunity for military forces, many supplies have been halted or redirected. The global impact has been significant, with oil suppliers switching their deliveries scheduled for South American countries to Europe and Asia in order to make a greater profit.

The rapidly shifting oil and gas markets and the changing situation in Iran have made the stock market more unpredictable than ever. The Fed interest rate decision is this week’s big influencing factor for the stock market, and Wall Street anticipates no change in the current 3.5-3.75% rate. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is likely to mention oil prices when laying out the Fed’s decision this week, and if he does, investors will watch those oil prices more closely for indications of future stock price change.

The stock market is hesitant and subdued at the moment, but once the Fed announces its decision, we expect the market to move quickly. If the Fed keeps the rate where it is, then the market is likely to dip Wednesday afternoon.