• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
EconomyWall Street

When it comes to the war in Iran don’t go betting on the TACO trade, says top J.P. Morgan investment strategist

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 9, 2026, 7:40 AM ET
US President Donald Trump salutes during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
President Donald Trump salutes during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., on March 7, 2026. Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg - Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

While there have been happier times on Wall Street, President Trump’s military intervention in Iran hasn’t yet pushed the bottom to fall out of markets.

Over the weekend, Iran elected a new leader that the White House disapproves of (Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei), and oil prices began climbing north of $100 a barrel. Many expect Khamenei to continue in the policy footsteps of his father, and the rhetoric from the Oval Office has ramped up in response.

But despite these tensions, investors and analysts are still clinging to the timeline President Trump outlined when the action began: four or five weeks, though potentially longer if necessary.

Recommended Video

The baseline that Trump will either retreat or reach a deal within a month, a sceptic might argue, echoes a trade now familiar to Wall Street under Trump 2.0: “TACO.” Rather, Trump Always Chickens Out. It’s a bet that has paid off a handful of times since the president returned to the Oval Office, particularly regarding Trump’s aggressive foreign policy on tariffs, which are often quickly reversed.

Indeed, some investment outfits have speculated that the Iran conflict presents an attractive buy-the-dip opportunity, with investors landing bargains at the height of geopolitical panic and (hopefully) seeing asset prices reinflate when the conflict ends in a month or so.

In theory, it’s not bad advice, says Jacob Manoukian, U.S. head of investment strategy for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Wealth Management. However, he argues that the downside risks of betting on the TACO trade when it comes to Iran are more complex than previous examples.

“As a strategist, the risk case that we’re worried about is that there’s a lot of potential paths that this can take, that are out of the control of one party or another,” Manoukian told Fortune in an exclusive interview. “The risk scenario that Wall Street is trying to figure out is that…global events have started, and we don’t know where they’re going, and we don’t know how they can be controlled, and we’re not sure where [the] fractal pathways will end up.”

Manoukian was speaking prior to the weekend’s update of the new Iranian leader, which demonstrated the J.P. Morgan analysts’ point that bets previously made by Wall Street may not prove to be as straightforward as hoped.

Indeed, it remains JPM’s base case that the Iran conflict will be over within a matter of weeks. But—no surprise to those familiar with the ethos of risk awareness at America’s largest bank—that doesn’t mean traders are taking it as a given, much less will be advising clients to take action based on the uncertain outlook.

As Manoukian describes it, JPM’s estimation is that a deal will be reached with Iran in two to three weeks, motivated in part by the fact that the president won’t want to see oil prices rising much higher in a midterm election year. Additionally, Iran and the Gulf states have finite munitions. “There’s a timeline here where this probably can’t continue forever, and the duration is likely to be limited,” Manoukian added. “But we just don’t know that and it’s hard to be certain.”

Where to focus

Although perhaps a less exciting prospect than buying the dip, Manoukian is focused on ensuring clients have balanced portfolios—especially identifying asset classes that may be underutilized.

J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s 2026 Global Family Office Report found that 80% of respondents had no exposure to infrastructure assets. Such assets may prove particularly useful in an environment where politicians and businesses will be thinking about resilience, security of supply chains, and autonomy when it comes to natural resources and energy.

“That is like the prime example of an asset that structurally and strategically can be really additive to a portfolio when these are the types of events that are going to drive risk-off moments in markets,” Manoukian added. Aversion from investors may arise due to the esoteric nature of the assets, Manoukian added, and as it’s harder to understand it’s therefore harder to access.

“I think with the acceptance of the evergreen structure within the alternative space, what we’ve seen is a lot of clients are much more willing to invest in the asset class because they do have a modicum of liquidity, and they’re starting to understand the importance a little bit more,” Manoukian added.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Economy

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Economy

Young couple looking sad in front of a home with a for sale sign
Real EstateHousing
Gen Z and millennials aren’t convinced the American Dream exists anymore: Only 40% of them can afford to buy a home
By Tristan BoveJune 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin
EconomyRussia
It started with one viral influencer complaining about Russia’s economy. Now a record 60% of Russians are pessimistic about their country’s outlook
By Tristan BoveJune 30, 2026
4 hours ago
A woman types into a kiosk at an airport.
Travel & LeisureAviation
‘You can expect prices to be high and stay high’: Domestic airfare is skyrocketing faster than international flight costs, despite using less jet fuel
By Sasha RogelbergJune 30, 2026
5 hours ago
mill
InvestingWealth
America added more than 1,200 millionaires per day in 2025, but the heyday of the ‘everyday millionaire’ is already over
By Nick LichtenbergJune 30, 2026
5 hours ago
US President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a Rose Garden Club dinner with American farmers at the White House in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2026.
EconomyBig Oil
Trump takes his inflation battle to gas retailers after his plot against the Fed runs aground—sets target for $2.50 a gallon
By Eleanor PringleJune 30, 2026
10 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
EconomyMarkets
AI stocks are in an ‘air pocket’ and Meta and Microsoft are being traded like ‘bear market names that cannot be owned,’ top analyst says
By Jim EdwardsJune 30, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
3 days ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
23 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.