Media Man Blog
Markets, Shares, Cryptos, Miners, Social Media and Culture March 27, 2026
Friday Down Under Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York, and beyond the Blackstump and Internet Matrix Of Things!
Pop Culture themes
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (Cannonball Adderley) "Gold" (Spandau Ballet) "The Wall Street Hustle" (10cc) "I've Got Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats) "Thursday’s Child" (David Bowie) "Bulls on Parade" (Rage Against the Machine)
Markets
ASX 200 futures down 77 points/0.9 per cent: 8487 AUD -0.7% to US68.96¢ Bitcoin $68,576.84 -3.77% Wall St: Dow -1% S&P -1.7% Nasdaq -2.4% VIX +2.97 to 28.30 Gold -2.1% to $US4412.99 an oz Silver 68.078 0.043 Brent oil +3.1% to $US105.43 a barrel Iron ore +2.2% to $US107.45 a ton 10-year yield: US 4.41% Australia 5.01%
News
Numbers Double Check
Australian Dollar: $0.6876 USD (down $0.0074 USD) Iron Ore: $107.45 USD (up $1.85 USD) Oil Price: $94.29 USD (up $3.02 USD) Gold Price: $4,353.82 USD (down $172.16 USD) Copper Price: $5.4540 USD (down $0.0635 USD) Dow Jones: 45,960.11 (down 469.38 points)
News
Aust
Shares slip amid confusion on US-Iran talks
The Australian sharemarket edged lower on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 easing 0.1 per cent to close at 8,525.7 points. Karoon Energy rose 3.7 per cent to $1.98, Nufarm was up 7.1 per cent at $1.97 and DroneShield added 5.2 per cent to end the session at $4.48. However, Resolute Mining fell six per cent to $1.26, WiseTech Global finished 3.2 per cent lower at $38.33 and the ANZ Bank was down 0.7 per cent at $36.65. (RMS)
News
Big dividend payouts a $23b boon to ASX
Australian-listed companies announced some $33bn worth of dividends during the February reporting season. Listed companies will pay shareholders about $10.7bn worth of dividends next week, following a $12.5bn payout this week. Much of this money is expected to be reinvested in the sharemarket, and Richard Coppleson from Bell Potter says this will "turbocharge" a relief rally following the recent financial market turmoil. Meanwhile, Solaris portfolio manager Charles Casey says the rising price of crude oil is providing a one-off "sugar hit" for energy groups such as Ampol and Woodside Energy, which should boost their earnings and dividends. (RMS)
News
Oil faces falling volatility, but unlikely prices
The US is offering Iran negotiations. Without dialogue, we must be prepared for an escalation. The oil market is nearing a mutually agreed conclusion, but the lack of mutual trust between the parties is significantly complicating the situation. The US has provided Iran with a list of 15 points, the completion of which would resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Previously, there were reports that Iran had presented its own conditions. These have not been officially confirmed, but we have heard on numerous occasions of demands for non-aggression guarantees and reparations for damage already inflicted. At stake is the reopening of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of refined fuel previously passed. According to JP Morgan estimates, the current shortfall is approximately 16 million barrels per day. This figure will decrease as barrels from the strategic reserves of IEA member countries are released into the market and as Gulf states explore alternative routes, such as the Red Sea. Nonetheless, the global economy faces the threat of a long-term deficit of 10 million barrels per day, which increases the risk of stagflation and recession. According to estimates by Oxford Economics, without a deal between Washington and Tehran, the Strait of Hormuz will only regain 50% of its pre-war capacity by May. Iran is gradually softening its stance, permitting tankers from countries not involved in the conflict to pass through while charging them a $2 million fee. According to Israeli television reports, the US is seeking a one-month ceasefire to discuss a plan that includes dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, ending support for terrorist groups, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Even in the most optimistic scenario, it will take months for Gulf countries to restore pre-war production levels. Coupled with difficulties in replenishing onshore stocks, this casts doubt on a quick fall in Brent prices.
Most likely, North Sea crude will remain above $65–70 per barrel by the end of 2026. The absence of constructive dialogue between the US and Iran could lead to further escalation, including other regional countries joining the US-Israeli coalition and possibly a ground operation by Washington. In such a scenario, Brent may rise to $160 a barrel. This is the price that some countries are already paying for oil from the Middle East that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. (FxPro)
News
AI News
(Aust)
Copyright holders ready to do AI deals under existing laws Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has told an event hosted by the media and creative sectors at Parliament House that Australia's existing copyright regime has served it well for many years. She said the federal government had said for some time that it has no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to artificial intelligence, while Australia's creative and media sector have made it clear that they are prepared to do licence deals with AI firms, and that existing copyright laws enable them to do just that. (RMS)
News
The miners to own in diesel crisis
Bell Potter's survey of Australian-listed mining companies concluded that diesel fuel accounted for up to 15 per cent of their operating costs prior to the start of the Iran war. Stuart Howe from Bell Potter says the war and the surge in crude oil prices will result in higher costs for much of the mining sector, while production could be impacted by the availability of diesel. Bell Potter recommends that investors rotate into mining stocks that are less exposed to diesel prices. Analysts note that miners with large-scale open-cut operations are most at risk of a supply crisis due to their heavy reliance on diesel-powered truck fleets. (RMS) News Batteries, coal push out east coast LNG shortage to 2029 The Australian Energy Market Operator now expects any gas supply shortage in the south-eastern states to occur in 2029, compared with its previous forecast of 2028. AEMO says gas shortfalls in 2029 are now regarded as a risk only during "extreme peak day demand conditions". It has cited a number of factors for its revised forecast, including expectations of lower demand for gas for power generation, an extension of the Eraring coal-fired power station's operating life and the estimated 30 gigawatts of battery storage projects that are currently being developed. Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the improved outlook shows that the federal government's "balanced" energy plan is working. (RMS) News WWE/Pop Culture/Pro Wrestling Roman Reigns Spears CM Punk Through Table on Raw, Sets Mania Clash On Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns and The Usos ambushed World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk after he mocked their family ties, ending with Reigns' devastating spear that demolished the announce table. The beatdown builds hype for their title match at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 in Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. Elsewhere, Paul Heyman provoked Seth Rollins into a wild stomping, Penta retained his Intercontinental Title against Dominik Mysterio, and Oba Femi dominated Brock Lesnar again, filling out a stacked Night 1 card. Media Man Peg-On: Ultra Hot WWE RAW. Makes one think of wrestling and tables in a whole new light. WrestleMania Season is heating up in the best way. Oba, Oba, Oba ... struting ... Penta-Mania, and it appears a new chapter of The Bloodline with Roman Reigns and co. Odds could be stacked against CM Punk. News Lead Up Streaming News Watercooler Netflix CEO allegedly won’t speak to Meghan Markle on phone without lawyer Meghan Markle is caught in a fresh Netflix storm with rumors claiming CEO Ted Sarandos is refusing to take her calls without a lawyer. Netflix denies everything but whispers of canceled deals and rising tension have fans questioning the truth! News The crypto market has pulled back, but hasn’t given up Market Overview The crypto market cap has declined by nearly 1% to $2.4T, once again approaching the 50-day moving average but still remaining above it (a bullish sign). Selling pressure is driven by renewed market fears arising from the situation in the Middle East. Technically, the market must make an early decision: either break through the uptrend line from early February or confirm the 50-day MA as support and break the downtrend. Bitcoin fell below $70K on Thursday morning as investors exited risky assets in traditional markets. However, the leading cryptocurrency remains close to the psychologically significant round figure and is still above the 50-day moving average, maintaining hopes of a resumption of growth at the first signs of a shift. News Background Bitcoin ETFs have attracted $2.5 billion over the past month, offsetting nearly all of the outflows that had been ongoing since January, according to Bloomberg. BlackRock’s BTC ETF has ranked among the top 2% of ETFs by inflows since the beginning of the year. The net outflow of the leading cryptocurrency from exchanges last month signalled a shift by investors towards an accumulation phase, notes analyst Darkfost. According to him, investors are buying coins and withdrawing them from platforms for self-custody. Large investors are shunning a wide range of altcoins in favour of Bitcoin and Ethereum, while interest in the rest of the crypto market is waning, BlackRock notes. The investment firm considers most new projects to be ‘nonsense’ with no long-term value. The Irish authorities have restored access to a wallet containing 500 confiscated bitcoins, which were previously considered inaccessible due to lost keys. The BTC wallet was successfully hacked thanks to cooperation with the European Cybercrime Centre. The Ethereum Foundation has presented a roadmap for protecting the network against quantum computers. The plan includes four hard forks. According to the developers’ estimates, ‘cryptographically significant’ devices will not appear for at least eight or even 12 years. However, preparations for this must begin now. (FxPro) News A.I News Australia Watchdog warns against 'dangerously' positive AI advice amid crypto trading spike The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has expressed concern about the growing tendency for young Australians to use artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT for financial advice. Its figures show young people are following 'dangerously' positive AI recommendations about investing in risky investments such as crypto, with their faith in what has been referred to as 'unverified, risk-averse digital advice' occurring as many Australians are struggling with major cost of living pressures; ASIC's figures also show that 23 per cent of Gen Z now hold crypto assets – up from just 9 per cent in 2023. (RMS) News Resources Drill, baby, drill: Boom for mineral, petroleum explorers Advisory firm BDO has calculated that ASX-listed mineral and petroleum explorers raised a record $5.63 billion in the final quarter of last year. It broke the previous record for fund raising of $3.75 billion that was set in the same period in 2021, with the $5.63 billion in fund raising leaving mineral and petroleum explorers with record cash reserves of $12 billion. It comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that spending on mineral exploration hit a two-year high in the final quarter of 2025, while spending on petroleum exploration was at a decade high. (RMS) News A.I News Global giants join Australia in fight to make AI companies pay for content Both the US and the UK appear to be backing the stance of the federal government of wanting AI companies pay for their use of content that has been produced by artists, musicians and journalists. In a document released on Friday that was titled 'Respecting Intellectual Property Rights and Supporting Creators', the White House stated that US copyright laws - under which content theft for the training of AI models, or any other use, is illegal - will remain. For its part, the UK government stated last week that it no longer had a "preferred option" on copyright reform, which comes after it last year endorsed a proposal that would have allowed tech companies to use copyrighted work without permission unless rights holders 'opted out' of the process. Its change of stance follows a longrunning campaign – led by artists including Elton John and Thom Yorke from Radiohead – which warned that the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for training AI models was threatening the livelihoods of people working in the creative industries. (Roy Morgan Summary) News Bitcoin News Byte Despite a 47% Price Drop, Bitcoin Traders Aren’t Selling: A survey of U.S. Bitcoin holders and crypto subreddit posts found that despite anxiety and market turbulence, most investors (69%) held onto their Bitcoin, with only 8% panic selling. Bitcoin faced a dramatic market correction in early 2026, plunging 46% from its $126,000 all-time high and briefly dipping below $61,000 on February 6. The drop erased over $1 trillion in market value and prompted headlines warning of a defining crypto moment. Social media feeds filled with reactions, yet most holders remained on the sidelines. A survey by Oobit of 1,006 American Bitcoin holders and sentiment analysis of 117,630 posts across 10 major crypto subreddits reveals that fear did not translate into widespread selling. News Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World) McEwan braces for exits as Craig takes BHP helm Nearly 43 per cent of BHP's staff are female, and there were some who expected that Mike Henry would be replaced as CEO by an internal female candidate. Minerals Australia president Geraldine Slattery and chief development officer Catherine Raw were viewed as two such candidates, but BHP gave the job to mining engineer Brandon Craig. Asked if his appointment could mean the loss of skilled female executives who were overlooked for the job of CEO, BHP chairman Ross McEwan said he would not be surprised if unsuccessful candidates chose to leave the company. (RMS) News New coal mines at greenfield sites to be banned in NSW NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee has described a decision by the state government to ban new coal mines on greenfield sites as "disappointing". The government announced the ban on Thursday as part of a new strategy aimed at managing the NSW coal sector until 2050, while it also announced new rules requiring major coal mines in NSW to reduce methane emissions caused by their operations; NSW coal mines produce around 30 per cent of the state's methane emissions and contribute around 11 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. (RMS) News Cryptos Crypto: the bulls may have their horns broken Market Overview The crypto market cap has fallen to $2.42 trillion, under pressure from sellers alongside risk assets, as the Fed pushes the next rate cut further into the future, boosting the dollar’s appeal. The decline also coincided with the upper boundary of the corrective rebound being touched. It is possible that cryptocurrencies were simply unable to ignore the significant deterioration in external sentiment, but they may soon return to outperforming other assets. Overall, however, we maintain a more pessimistic view, anticipating the bear market will continue, with bulls likely to be beaten soon, not least due to macro factors. Bitcoin has fallen by 8.4% from its latest peak on Tuesday morning and briefly dipped below 70 at the start of the day on Thursday. At these levels, BTC is testing the 50-day moving average from above. As we have repeatedly warned previously, the upward momentum will face significant resistance at the boundary of a typical correction from the latest downward impulse. The leading cryptocurrency has more room to move within the $65K–$75K range. Breaking out of this range may require more momentum to determine the market’s direction for the coming days or weeks. News Background Investment bank Citigroup has lowered its 12-month price targets for Bitcoin and Ethereum amid delays in the adoption of US cryptocurrency legislation. The forecast for Bitcoin has been lowered from $143,000 to $112,000, and for Ethereum from $4,304 to $3,175. In a negative scenario, BTC risks falling to $58,000 and ETH to $1,198. Bitcoin still has two-thirds of its bear cycle ahead, said Willy Wu, co-founder of the Bitcoin Vector project, urging investors to remain cautious. In his view, it is premature to expect sustained growth without an improvement in market liquidity. Ethereum developers are testing the Fast Confirmation Rule (FCR), which will speed up transfers between the mainnet and the second layer from 13 minutes to 13 seconds. (FxPro). Media Peg-On (as seen burning up the LinkedIn and X newsfeeds with web traffic spikes) Media Man Peg-On: Having your horns broken is one step better than having your you know what broken. Ball breaking headlines that hit you right between the Eye Balls! BTC for the true believers, for better or worse. A labor of love and for those who keep the dream alive. Remember our saying, "Bullish is a mindset", right Mr Michael Saylor of Strategy. MC is always good fodder for the crypto and tech media fodder and website traffic generation. MC, the media darling you love to hate! So, when's the running of the bulls then? Red flag to a bull! News Betting on Americas and keeping BHP whole BHP has ended long-running speculation about succession planning after announcing that Brandon Craig will succeed CEO Mike Henry. The BHP veteran has ruled out demerging assets such as the resources group's copper mines during his tenure, which will start on 1 July. Craig says he believes that a diversified model is still superior, especially in the mining sector. He argues that BHP's ability to use its flagship iron ore division to fund projects such as copper and potash mines differentiates it from rivals. Craig says BHP may be open to mergers and acquisitions, although he says any such opportunities would need to be compelling to compete with its internal growth options. He has also indicated that BHP's focus will shift to the Americas, where many of its growth projects are located. (RMS) News March 27 Shares: NYSE Alphabet Inc Class A $280.96 -9.97 -3.43% TKO Group Holdings Inc $192.64 -1.30 -0.67% Netflix Inc $93.32 +1.04 +1.13% Media Man Peg-On: Alpha and TKO down a bit from yesterday. Netflix holding strong and gaining. News X Newsfeed WWE Cody Rhodes and Matt Cardona Dish on Indie-to-WWE Return WWE Champion Cody Rhodes hosted Matt Cardona on 'What Do You Wanna Talk About?', where Cardona detailed his path back to WWE after six years as the 'Indy God.' It started with his wife Chelsea Green nudging President Nick Khan during a TNA spot on NXT, leading to Cardona's direct text and a January 2026 SmackDown deal. They fantasy-booked a fun ladder match in WWE 2K26, and Cardona shouted out indie standouts Big Trouble Ben Bishop and Richard Holliday as future WWE stars, sparking excitement online about their friendship and the indie-WWE bridge. Media Man Peg-On: Cardona'a indi matches and feud with Killer Kross was excellent. Our Cardona indy highlight. Vs Holliday was great too, as was Kross vs Holliday. News Wrestling/WWE/Pop Culture Jade Cargill Calls Out Rhea Ripley in Heated SmackDown Face-Off On Friday's SmackDown, WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill challenged Rhea Ripley directly, boasting she doesn't need the title or fans to be 'that b*tch.' Ripley, fresh from her Elimination Chamber win for a title shot, stood ready to strike back amid a roaring crowd. The intense promo ramps up their WrestleMania 42 rivalry, with fans praising Cargill's star power while craving the first brawl. Both bring unmatched athleticism and attitude to the collision course. Media Man Peg-On: Ripley our Uncrowned Women's Champion, belt or not! She's Got IT! NXT's Zaria shares some of the same attributes, as does Z's rival, Sol Ruca. News 25 Years Since WCW Nitro's Final Episode Ended Monday Night Wars On March 26, 2001, WCW Monday Nitro aired its last show from Panama City Beach, Florida, capping five and a half years of intense competition with WWF Raw. Key moments included Booker T winning the world title, a dramatic simulcast announcement of WWF purchasing WCW's assets for $4.2 million, and Sting defeating Ric Flair in the main event that echoed the show's debut. Fans today share live memories of the surreal night, clips of the McMahon surprise, and thoughts on WCW stars like Booker T and Sting who later succeeded in WWE. News Gold News Gold is back in focus as markets react to geopolitics The market is fixated on the threat of accelerating inflation driven by high energy prices. As a result, central banks are expected to adopt a tighter monetary policy, keeping rates at high levels or even raising them. This has a positive impact on fiat currencies and strips gold of its key feature as a store of value amid currency debasement. It is no surprise that the precious metal, which had got off to a strong start, has been losing out to Bitcoin and the US dollar since the start of the armed conflict in the Middle East. Although gold is generally regarded as a safe-haven asset, in the early stages of financial market turmoil, investors often choose to flee to liquidity. They favour fiat currencies and are far more willing to buy US dollar-nominated short-term treasuries. Gold prices usually recover only if market shocks worsen, fears of recession or stagflation rise, and central banks start adding liquidity. Bank of America believes that the markets are still underestimating the scale of the potential consequences of geopolitical tension. They are fixated on the threat of accelerating inflation and are not considering a global economic downturn. Therefore, the longer the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran lasts, the better it is for the precious metal. UBS Global Wealth Management notes that gold serves as a hedge against currency devaluation, rising budget deficits and recession. All of these could result from a geopolitical shock. The firm therefore maintains its bullish outlook on gold. In its view, the precious metal could rise to the $5,900-$6,200 range before the end of this year. However, gold must first weather the storm of numerous central bank meetings. The RBA has already raised its cash rate to 4.15%. Investors now expect ‘hawkish’ rhetoric from the rest. The ECB and the Bank of Japan are ready to tackle inflation, and the futures market expects them to tighten monetary policy. The Fed and the Bank of England are most likely to talk about prolonged pauses in their cycles. Thus, gold appears to be a win-win option. It will gain if the conflict in the Middle East drags on, and will not lose if it ends. Investors just need to be patient for a little while. (FxPro) News Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Series Company Of The Month' award The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper Of The Month' award; Runner-up: The Australian Google wins Media Man 'Search Engine Of The Month' award Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award UFC wins 'Combat Sports Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: Most Valuable Promotions, Everlast, BKFC Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award CAT wins Media Man 'Heavy Industry Brand Of The Month' award Dynasty: The Murdochs wins 'Streaming Show Of The Month' award (Netflix) Media Man Biz https://www.mediaman.com.au/biz.html Markets https://www.mediaman.com.au/markets_and.html Wall Street https://www.mediaman.com.au/wall_street.html Mag 7 https://www.mediaman.com.au/mag_7.html News https://www.mediaman.com.au/news.html Newsfeed https://www.mediaman.com.au/newsfeed.html Watercooler https://www.mediaman.com.au/watercooler.html Media Man News Blog https://mediamannews.blogspot.com/ #Markets #Gold #Oil #BTC #NYSE #Sharemarket #Stockmarket #Gold #Oil #BTC #NYSE #Commodities #Bitcoin #BTC #Currency #FX #WWE #TKO #WrestleMania #GEO #Business #BusinessNews #Trade #Trading #DonaldTrump #Biz #War #Disrupt #Disruptor #PopCulture #Culture #SmackDown #WWE #Wrestling #WrestleManiaVegas #Trend #Buzz #Media #MediaMan #World #WorldNews #XBiz #XMarkets #XWorld
