WS #6068

The key market-moving development in this window is China's formal block of Meta's $2B acquisition of AI startup Manus, citing national security concerns. This is corroborated by multiple sources (BBC, GDELT, SeekingAlpha cross-references) and represents a major escalation in US-China AI rivalry, directly impacting META's AI strategy and potentially affecting sentiment on US tech firms with China exposure. Separately, the Iran situation remains fluid: while Iran offered to end the Strait of Hormuz blockade in exchange for sanctions relief, EU Commission President von der Leyen rejected the proposal as premature, maintaining sanctions. This counters the earlier de-escalation signal and keeps oil supply risks elevated. S&P 500 futures are flat as the Hormuz proposal initially offset geopolitical risk, but the EU rejection may renew pressure. Nvidia is back above $5T market cap, a positive sentiment signal for tech. Shell's $16.4B acquisition of ARC Resources is confirmed with trading resumed on ARC OTC shares, a significant energy M&A event. ACM Research reported strong Q1 revenue growth of 31-33%, positive for ACMR. Intel kicks off bond sale to buy back Ireland plant stake, a capital markets signal. Bitcoin hit a 12-week high near $79.5K amid geopolitical uncertainty and institutional demand, with MSTR buying 3,273 BTC for $255M. The Fed decision this week is the next major catalyst, with markets pricing near-certainty of rates unchanged.