THIS IS CONCERNING.

Over 1.17 million US job cuts were announced in the last year, the highest since the pandemic.

600,000 were cut in just the first two months of 2026.

Major layoffs include:

• US Government: 317,000
• UPS: 78,000
• Amazon: 30,000
• Intel: 25,000
• Citigroup: 20,000
• Nissan: 20,000
• Microsoft: 15,000
• Verizon: 13,000
• Accenture: 11,000
• Salesforce: 4,000
• Block: 4,000

A significant portion of that is because of AI. Companies are openly saying smaller teams can now do the same work.

This is happening in the weakest white collar hiring market since 2008. The risk is simple.

The US economy runs on consumer spending. Higher income workers drive a large share of that demand. When $150k-$200k jobs are replaced with software, company margins improve, but household income falls.

There's second order effect as well:

The same companies cutting staff are selling products and services to that same income base. If AI driven layoffs reduce household income at scale, demand for retail, fintech, SaaS, travel, and enterprise services weakens.

Short term profitability improves but Long term the customer base shrinks.

If this scales, spending weakens. Housing, autos, travel, subscriptions, and credit quality all become sensitive.

You can have rising productivity and strong corporate earnings while the income base underneath shrinks.

That is how you build a GHOST ECONOMY, output grows, but broad participation in that growth declines.

The labor market needs to absorb this transition before demand starts to weaken at the core of the economy.

Hey Claude, run the country with minimal spending so we can fire the whole government

⚡️JUST IN: The President just blacklisted use of Anthropic from all United States Government Institutions.

There will be a 6 months phase out.

🇩🇪🇨🇳 German Chancellor Merz says Germans need to work more in order to match China:

“We are simply no longer productive enough. Each individual may say, “I already do quite a lot.” And that may be true.

But when you return from China, ladies and gentlemen, you see things more clearly.

With work-life balance and a four-day week, long-term prosperity in our country cannot be maintained. We will simply have to do a bit more.”

🚨 Trump and the Pentagon are officially targeting Anthropic to gain control of its AI agents.

Sam Altman defends his competitor against these threats.

As a reminder, the US wants to use Claude for its military, but Anthropic refuses to allow the AI ​​to be used unsupervised by targeting humans.

The German government strangles its economy with regulations, high taxes and high energy prices … then floods the country with low skilled workers from the Third World …. Then complains that Germans don’t work hard enough 🤡

PRESIDENT TRUMP on VENEZUELA: We’ll help build their country, which was once a disaster. We’re going to benefit from it also. That’s how it’s supposed to be right? It’s going to be great.

When your the first ever CEO of two trillion dollar public companies at the same time

This is the real map of leverage.

Many countries talk about “de-risking”.

But look at the numbers.

🇺🇸 U.S. ~13.8% of goods imports from China
🇪🇺 Much of Europe 10–20%
🇯🇵 Japan 22.5%
🇦🇺 Australia 25.5%
🇧🇷 Brazil 24.9%
🇵🇪 Peru 28.7%
🇰🇭 Cambodia 46.8%

For some economies, nearly half of total goods imports come from China.

Why this matters:

📦 Supply chains are not easily rewired.
🏭 Manufacturing ecosystems take decades to replicate.
⚡ Critical inputs. Electronics, machinery, intermediate goods.

In a world of tariffs, export controls, and strategic minerals weaponization, dependency becomes bargaining power.

Trade is no longer just economics.

It is geopolitics with invoices attached.

#China

🚨🇮🇷 Dozens of key Iranian targets hit in Tehran, including the presidential compound, airport, and intelligence HQ, Israel Hayom reports chaos unfolding across the city.

Trump just started the war with Iran! 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 vs 🇮🇷

Here are 7️⃣ stocks most likely to benefit!

1/ Lockheed Martin $LMT

Major US defense contractor producing fighter jets, missiles, and defense systems.

The company will benefit because major conflicts drive higher US and allied defense spending, accelerating orders, replenishment of munitions, and long-term modernization contracts.

It supplies the US. military with systems such as:

- F-35 Lightning II fighter
- Patriot PAC-3 missile interceptors
- HIMARS rocket systems,
- Aegis missile defense components,

Additionally, Israel operates the F-35I “Adir,” F-16 variants, and uses Lockheed-produced components and interceptors.

Crucially, $LMT supplies the Iron Dome’s Tamir and David’s Sling systems in its air and missile defense architecture.

2/ Rtx Corp $RTX

Supplies missile systems, radar, and aerospace tech.

RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, will benefit from a US–Iran conflict because heightened regional tensions will drive increased demand and replenishment orders for missile defense systems, precision-guided munitions, radar, and air defense interceptors used by both the US. and Israel.

It sells the military with systems such as the

- Patriot air and missile defense system
- Tomahawk cruise missiles
- AMRAAM air-to-air missile
- NASAMS

Furthermore, they are a key partner in Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling (Stunner interceptor), and Patriot air defense support.

3/ Northrop Grumman $NOC

Known for stealth bombers, defense electronics, and cyber tech.

In the context of a US–Iran conflict, Northrop Grumman will benefit because it manufactures high-demand strategic assets such as

- B-2 Spirit
- B-21 Raider stealth bombers
- RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone
- missile defense components
- space-based early warning system.

All critical for long-range strike, intelligence, and missile tracking operations.

4/ General Dynamics $GD

Tanks, naval systems, and defense solutions.

As a result of the US–Iran conflict, General Dynamics could benefit from increased demand for

- M1A2 Abrams tanks
- armored vehicles
- naval shipbuilding through its Electric Boat division (builder of Virginia-class nuclear submarines)
- secure communications and battlefield IT systems.

5/ Boeing $BA

Defense division builds military aircraft, satellites, and missiles.

In a Middle East conflict scenario, Boeing could benefit from increased demand and replenishment orders for systems such as the

- F-15EX fighter jet
- AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
- KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker
- P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Boeing also produces JDAM precision-guided munition kits and various space and surveillance systems that support strike and intelligence operations, and their systems are operated by both the US and Israel.

6/ Exxon Mobil $XOM

Large integrated oil major in the US.

In a conflict involving Iran, ExxonMobil could benefit if oil prices rise due to supply disruption risk in the Strait of Hormuz, since higher crude prices typically increase revenue and cash flow for major producers.

As a large integrated energy company with global production and refining capacity, it tends to capture upside during commodity price spikes.

7/ Elbit Systems $ESLT

Israel’s largest defense technology companies, with products spanning land, air, sea, unmanned systems, communications, and intelligence systems.

In a regional conflict, Elbit could benefit from increased demand and replenishment orders for systems such as the

-Hermes 450/900 UAVs
- precision-guided artillery
- rocket systems
- advanced electro-optical targeting systems
- secure communications
- Iron Fist armored vehicles.

The company supplies the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and exports extensively to the US.

Drone BOOM and Defense EXPLOSION 💥

Oppenheimer forecasts the global drone market exploding from $45 billion today to $400 billion over the next decade, fueled by surging defense spending and advances in autonomous “physical AI” systems.

Key positioned plays:

$ONDS
$LTRX
$SPAI

A sector with significant long-term upside amid rising geopolitical and defense priorities 📈

$SPAI/USD H2 #Indicator #Signal #Trading #GlobalOneAI