March 18 International Market Headlines: Trump Criticizes NATO for Refusing to Help; Senior U.S. Counter-Terrorism Official Says Israel Misled Washington; Oil Price Breaks Through $103

Major Headlines Covered by Global Financial Media Last Night and This Morning:

1. Trump Criticizes NATO for Not Offering Support; Senior Counterterrorism Official Claims Israel Misled Washington

2. Israel Claims to Have “Eliminated” Iran Security Official Larry Ranjani

3. Qualcomm Approves $20 Billion Stock Buyback Plan and Plans to Increase Dividends

4. Unilever Considering Spinning Off Food Business

5. U.S. Allies Reluctant to Escort Oil Tankers Through the Strait of Hormuz, Oil Prices Surpass $103

6. Goldman Sachs Partner: No Signs of Capitulation Selling in U.S. Stocks; Recommends Simplifying Portfolio and Increasing Cash Holdings

Trump Criticizes NATO for Not Offering Support; Senior Counterterrorism Official Claims Israel Misled Washington

As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, severely disrupting global energy markets, President Trump sharply criticized long-time allies for refusing to support his requests for Iran war support.

Trump was especially blunt with NATO allies, condemning their failure to join U.S. actions as “a foolish mistake,” and claimed that no member of the organization had expressed reservations at the start of the conflict. He has long maintained that the war was necessary to eliminate potential nuclear threats.

“I’ve said it before, I doubt NATO would stand up for us when we need them,” Trump said Tuesday at the White House. “This is a big test. We don’t need them, but they should have been there.”

In a previous social media post, Trump insisted he doesn’t need help from NATO, Japan, Australia, or South Korea, which have all expressed reluctance to participate in U.S.-Israel military actions.

“In fact, as President of the United States, the world’s most powerful country, I want to say here that we don’t need anyone’s help!” he wrote on social media.

Israel Claims to Have “Eliminated” Iran Security Official Larry Ranjani

Israel announced that during a nighttime strike, they killed Ali Ranjani, Iran’s security affairs chief, further escalating the regional conflict that has lasted three weeks without signs of easing.

Defense Minister Gantz stated that Ranjani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and a commander of Iran’s quasi-military Basij organization, have been “eliminated.” Iran has yet to respond.

If confirmed, Ranjani would be one of the highest-ranking Iranian officials killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was targeted on the first day of this 18-day-long war. Khamenei has been succeeded by his son, Mujeh Taba Khamenei. Meanwhile, Tehran continues retaliatory strikes in the region in response to Israeli and U.S. attacks.

Qualcomm Approves $20 Billion Stock Buyback and Plans to Increase Dividends

Smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm plans to repurchase an additional $20 billion worth of stock and increase quarterly dividends, part of its strategy to boost shareholder returns and diversify its business.

According to a company statement, the board has approved a new stock buyback plan, supplementing the previous buyback announced in November 2024. After March 26, the company’s quarterly dividend will rise from $0.89 to $0.92 per share, with an annualized dividend of $3.68 per share.

Last month, Qualcomm issued a weak revenue forecast, citing global memory chip shortages that would lead some customers to reduce phone production. CEO Cristiano Amon has been pushing the company’s transformation into automotive, PC, and data center chips, but these new areas have yet to generate enough revenue to offset declines in its core markets.

Unilever Considering Spinning Off Food Business

Sources familiar with the matter say Unilever is in the early stages of exploring a divestment of its food assets. The company is seeking to further streamline its expanding product portfolio.

The UK-Dutch consumer goods giant is reportedly discussing future plans with advisors, including the possibility of divesting most or all of its food business. Some sources indicate the company is in preliminary evaluation stages, considering options such as a full divestment or retaining certain well-known brands while shedding others, but no final decision is expected before 2027.

Sources estimate that the valuation of Unilever’s food division could reach hundreds of billions of dollars. They also note that the company has not made any final decisions and may choose to maintain its current structure or pursue other options.

U.S. Allies Reluctant to Escort Oil Tankers Through the Strait of Hormuz; Oil Prices Surpass $103

Concerns about whether the U.S. will form a meaningful coalition to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz have increased, leading to a more than 2% rise in oil prices on Tuesday.

Brent crude rose by $3.21, or 3.2%, closing at $103.42 per barrel. WTI futures for April delivery increased by $2.71, or 2.9%, ending at $96.21 per barrel.

Trump posted on social media that NATO allies are unwilling to participate in the U.S. effort against Iran. He stated that the U.S. does not need their help.

The U.S. has been urging allies to send military forces to protect tanker traffic through the strait. After Iran launched attacks, vessel traffic through this critical transit route sharply declined, causing one of the most severe global oil supply disruptions in history.

Goldman Sachs Partner: No Signs of Capitulation Selling in U.S. Stocks; Recommends Simplifying Portfolio and Increasing Cash

Tony Pasquariello, a Goldman Sachs partner and head of global hedge fund business, said that despite hedge funds reducing exposure and asset managers and systematic traders heavily selling index futures, there has been no “true capitulation” in the stock market.

“Frankly, the market is certainly smarter than me, but I am surprised that market participants haven’t shown more concern,” Pasquariello wrote in a report.

He pointed out that historical experience shows that during periods of soaring oil prices, stocks should experience larger declines, with an average drop of 12% in similar past scenarios. This makes Pasquariello worry that investors are “underestimating potential tail risks.” However, he added that bulls may be betting on the durability of U.S. economic growth; to truly disrupt the current narrative, more than just rising oil prices may be needed.