Elon Musk’s SpaceX is one step closer to staging what could be the largest initial public offering of all time. The satellite builder and rocket operator has confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to people familiar with the matter. SpaceX is aiming for an IPO that could raise between $40 billion and $80 billion, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The filing puts the company on track to potentially list shares by July, as Musk has told people is his goal. SpaceX would be the first of three mega-IPOs that could go in 2026: Artificial-intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic are both waiting in the wings for potential offerings before year-end. Many smaller technology-company IPOs have been pushed off in 2026, as fears about how AI will upend the software industry have sent investors running. Because SpaceX filed its paperwork confidentially, as is customary these days, most investors will have to wait until closer to the IPO to see the company’s financial performance.

The Swiss market ended on an upbeat note on Wednesday, like most of the other markets across Europe, as U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks helped ease tensions about the conflict in the Middle East. The Swiss benchmark index SMI ended with a gain of 214.46 points or 1.68% at 12,991.25. The index climbed to a high of 13,042.07 intraday. ABB climbed 4.81% and Holcim moved up nearly 4.5%. Sandoz Group, Julius Baer and Richemont gained 3.3%- 3.8%, while Partners Group, UBS Group, VAT Group and Kuehne + Nagel ended up by 2.2%-2.7%. Amrize, SGS, Galderma Group, Lonza Group, Novartis, Sika, Swiss Life Insurance, Straumann Holding, Helvetia Baloise Holding and Alcon also posted strong gains. Lindt & Spruengli ended down by about 1.7%. Swiss Re closed 0.3% down, while Sonova and Swisscom edged down marginally. In economic news, Swiss retail sales increased in February after falling at the steepest pace in sixteen months in January, data from the Federal Statistical Office revealed. In real terms, retail sales in Switzerland rose 0.4% on a monthly basis, reversing a revised 1.6% fall in January. Excluding service stations, total retail sales were 0.5% higher.

Europe
European markets closed on a strong note on Wednesday with investors picking up stocks across the board amid growing optimism about a de-escalation in the Middle East war after U.S. President Donald Trump said that American forces would leave Iran in 'two or three weeks.' The pan European Stoxx 600 climbed 2.5%. The UK's FTSE 100 moved up 1.85%, Germany's DAX surged 2.73% and France's CAC 40 jumped 2.1%. Switzerland's SMI finished with a gain of 1.68%. Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden closed sharply higher, gaining 1.5%-3.3%. Russia and Türkiye also ended on a bright note, while Norway settled lower. In the UK market, shares from mining and banking sectors turned in a fine performance. Stocks from several other sectors too saw hectic buying. Babcock International soared 9.5%. Rolls-Royce Holdings moved up 6.7%. 3i Group, Endeavour Mining, Fresenillo, Lloyds Banking Group, IAG, Scottish Mortgage, Natwest Group, HSBC Holdings, Polar Capital Technology Trust, Anglo American Plc, Melrose Industries, St. James's Place and Barclays gained 5%-6%.

United States
Stocks moved mostly higher during trading on Wednesday, adding to the substantial gains posted in the previous session. The major averages all moved to the upside, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq posting a standout gain. The major averages gave back some ground in afternoon trading after a morning rally but remained firmly positive. The Nasdaq jumped 250.32 points or 1.2 percent to 21,840.95, the S&P 500 climbed 46.80 points or 0.7 percent to 6,575.32 and the Dow rose 224.23 points or 0.5 percent to 46,565.74. The extended the rally on Wall Street came amid optimism about an end to the U.S. war with Iran following the latest comments by President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he expects U.S. military forces to leave Iran in 'two or three weeks.' The president argued that the U.S. does not have to reach a negotiated settlement to end the war with Iran, calling a deal 'irrelevant' because 'everything's been bombed out.' Gold stocks extended Tuesday's rally as the price of the precious metal continued to surge, driving the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index up by 4.3 percent. Substantial strength was also visible among airline stocks, with the NYSE Arca Airline Index soaring by 2.8 percent. Semiconductor, networking and computer hardware also saw significant strength, contributing to the jump by the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Steel, financial and pharmaceutical stocks also showed strong moves to the upside, while energy stocks came under pressure amid the steep drop by the price of crude oil.

Asia
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to dominate the headlines and market activity on Asian stock exchanges. Japan’s Nikkei 225 has given up its early gains and is now down 2.4 per cent at 52,460 points. The slide into negative territory is even more pronounced in South Korea. After opening 1.3 per cent higher, the Kospi is now down 4.1 per cent. The South Korean benchmark index had reacted particularly euphorically the previous day to hopes of an end to the war, rising by 8.4 per cent. Consequently, traders say there is now a need to price in some of these gains. As noted by Nomura, the stock markets in China are proving more resilient: the HSI in Hong Kong is down 1.1 per cent and the Shanghai Composite 0.5 per cent.

Bonds
In the U.S. bond market, treasuries showed a lack of direction over the course of the session before closing slightly lower. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, is down by 1.4 basis points at 4.297 percent.

Analysis
UBS cuts Pernod Ricard target to EUR 70 (81) – Neutral
Bank of America cuts Ferrari target to EUR 350 (375) – Buy
Bernstein cuts Hermes target to EUR 2,250 (2,650) – Outperform

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