Hi There! My upbringing was shaped by a woman who treated the Prime Minister and the drunk on the corner with the same dignity. This single lesson taught me more about leadership than most executives will learn in a lifetime.

My mother worked as a maid. Growing up, I watched status-seekers make the lazy mistake of assuming her profession defined her intellect. They saw her work, her weight, and her place in the room, then decided she was not worth much. Those people were very wrong. Ms. Junie moved through the world with warmth, wisdom, knowledge, and a deep sense of self-respect. She instilled that same value in me from a young age. She taught me to respect the CEO and the guys on the block equally because you never know what someone is going through or what they can teach you.

Leading teams inside small, medium, and large organizations eventually proved her right. Chasing profits first is the fastest way to kill them. Many leaders ignore this truth daily. They squeeze their people, hoard credit, cut development, and go cold in the name of performance. These same leaders act shocked when morale drops, trust breaks, and the numbers start sliding toward the red.

If you lead people, your title does not make you more important than the individuals doing the work. It makes you more accountable to them. The janitor helping your team walk into a clean, professional space matters. The field staff gathering the raw data for your big engineering design matters. The admin keeping the calendar and the culture from imploding matters. Without your people, there is no client win, no polished presentation, no company, and certainly no you.

"People over profits: treat people right, and the profits will follow" has been my mantra for decades. This philosophy actually works in the high-stakes world of business. When people feel seen, they think better. When they feel valued, they stay longer. When they feel respected, they solve expensive problems before they ever reach your desk.

Profits are the result, not the goal. Treat your people like they matter. The numbers will eventually tell the story of your leadership.

Lead with dignity. The rest is just math.

Markets found a little breathing room last week, but nobody should confuse relief with safety.

U.S. stocks finally snapped a multi week losing streak during the holiday shortened week, helped by easing Treasury yields, quarter-end rebalancing, and growing hope that the U.S.-Iran conflict could cool from here. Large-cap tech helped lead the bounce, giving the Nasdaq an edge, while bonds firmed, oil stayed elevated, and the dollar slipped modestly. Outside the U.S., Europe pushed higher on softer inflation data and better risk sentiment, while Asian markets were mostly weaker.

Last week was all about a rebound in risk appetite. U.S. equities rallied after a rough stretch, with investors responding to falling yields and signs that tensions around Iran might not spiral further. Markets still swung hard on headlines, but the tone improved enough to lift stocks, bonds, and gold at the same time. Oil remained the pressure point, climbing above $111 per barrel at one stage as traders kept one eye on the Strait of Hormuz.

Equities:

The S&P 500 snapped a five week losing streak with a strong four-day advance, even after ending the month lower and posting its first quarterly loss in four quarters. Last Monday’s trading was rate sensitive, but sentiment improved quickly as hopes for a diplomatic off ramp in the Middle East grew. Big tech strength and quarter-end rebalancing added fuel to the move, which helped the Nasdaq outperform. By Thursday, stocks had trimmed earlier losses after reports that Iran was working with Oman on a shipping protocol tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

Fixed Income:

Core bonds moved higher on the week as Treasury yields pulled back. Such a move mattered because lower yields can ease pressure on stocks and signal that investors expect the Fed to stay less aggressive. Municipal bonds, however, had a rough March. The muni market fell 2.5% for the month, its worst since March 2022, but valuations now look more attractive, especially for investors in higher tax brackets. One caution, April seasonals for munis have been weak, with six of the last ten Aprils showing negative returns.

Commodities:

Oil remained the headline commodity as geopolitical risk kept prices firm. WTI stayed near weekly highs as the market got no firm timeline for a conflict resolution. Gold also bounced sharply, gaining more than 3% through Thursday afternoon, while silver pushed higher as well.

Currencies:

The U.S. Dollar Index traded choppily but ended slightly lower, still hovering near 100. Major pairs reflected that mixed tone:

This tells us that the dollar lost a little ground overall, but not enough to signal a major shift in trend.

U.S. Economic Recap (March 29, 2026 - April 4, 2026)

The key labour signal last week came from JOLTS. Hiring and job openings fell, showing a labour market that is cooling under the weight of inflation and tariff uncertainty. Workers also appeared less willing to switch jobs, with quits rates below pre-pandemic levels across most sectors. Healthcare hiring softened, which matters because that area has been carrying payroll growth. One bright spot was information technology, where both hiring rates and quits improved, suggesting labour demand is still healthy there.

Europe:

European equities moved higher, supported by better risk sentiment and slightly cooler preliminary inflation data for March. Utilities and basic resources led, with metals and mining shares gaining on supply concerns tied to Iranian strikes on aluminum plants in Bahrain and the UAE.

Asia:

Asian markets were mostly weaker. South Korea remained highly sensitive to geopolitical swings, while Taiwan chip names also faced pressure. Japan struggled with concerns around yen weakness, firmer oil prices, and central bank minutes that kept the door open to more rate hikes. Greater China held up better, with Hong Kong higher and mainland losses relatively contained.

The Caribbean story last week was less about panic and more about preparation.

In Jamaica, the Bank of Jamaica held its policy rate at 5.50%, even with February inflation at 3.9%, below its 4% to 6% target band. The concern was not current inflation alone, but the risk that Middle East tensions could push up energy and fertilizer costs and eventually hit domestic prices.

In the ECCU, the ECCB launched its 2026 to 2031 strategic plan, aiming to lift regional GDP and household wealth through stronger financial stability efforts and more support for small business credit.

In Guyana, the oil engine kept running hot. Production stayed above 900,000 barrels per day, and higher oil prices could help accelerate cost recovery and move more profit oil to the country sooner.

Crypto spent last week consolidating rather than breaking out. Total market cap held around $2.40 trillion to $2.45 trillion. Bitcoin traded between $65.9K and $69.2K and closed the week near $67.5K, up about 2%. Ethereum stayed near $2,050. Even with prices holding up, sentiment stayed weak, with Fear and Greed readings still sitting in extreme fear.

The biggest themes were a regulatory slowdown and token supply pressure. The CLARITY Act moved into Easter recess without a major breakthrough, while Wormhole saw a large token unlock that added dilution risk. On the brighter side, institutional interest did not disappear, with light inflows continuing into spot BTC ETFs.

Top crypto gainers (last week): ALGO, DEXE, M, ZEC, VET

Key U.S. economic releases (April 6 -10, 2026):

Events to watch:

The market is still trading the Middle East story, oil, and rate expectations together. If geopolitical tensions cool further, stocks may keep stabilizing. If oil stays elevated or conflict headlines worsen, that could quickly pressure both inflation expectations and risk assets.

Fed Speakers:

FOMC Members Goolsbee and Jefferson

Traders and investors will be listening for any signal on whether sticky inflation and geopolitical risk are changing the Fed’s comfort level.

Q1 earnings season is starting, and the S&P 500 EPS (earnings per share) growth is expected to be 14.4% year-over-year, or 14.8% excluding energy.

Notable earnings releases are shown below.

Imagine waking up at 6:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, not to your alarm, but to a notification that would change your life. For roughly 30,000 Oracle employees on March 31, 2026, that was the reality. A cold, brief email from "Oracle Leadership" informed them that their roles were eliminated effective immediately, their access to company systems was being cut, and the tech giant was pivoting its billions toward AI infrastructure.

At the Rhoda Report, we talk a lot about those competitive advantages that protect a company from its rivals (moats). But what about your personal economic moat? In a market where a trillion-dollar company can shed 18% of its workforce before you’ve even finished your first cup of coffee, you need more than just a polished LinkedIn profile. You need an early warning system.

Such a system is called the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. If you aren't monitoring it, you’re essentially flying blind in a storm.

The most recent March 2026 Jobs Report paints a confusing picture for the average worker. On one hand, the economy added 178,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.3%. On the surface, that looks like a strong labour market.

However, the "under the hood" metrics tell a different story:

In this environment, you need a strategy to stay ahead of the "AI Pivot."

Passed in 1988, the WARN Act is a federal law designed to protect workers and communities from the shock of sudden mass unemployment. It requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 days' advance written notice of:

When companies like Oracle bypass the spirit of this with immediate "last day" emails, they often have to pay out those 60 days in wages and benefits anyway to avoid stiff penalties. For you, those 60 days aren't just a severance period, they are a 60-day head start on the rest of the market.

The most successful investors combine macro trends with company-specific data. You should do the same for your career. Think of the U.S. Jobs Report as your "market weather report" and the WARN Act as your "localized radar."

Don’t wait for your boss to call a "Quick Sync." Every state maintains a public WARN Notice List. Search "[Your State] WARN report" once a month. If you see your competitors or major vendors in your supply chain filing notices, your company might be six months behind them.

The March report showed that while Tech is volatile, Health Care and Transportation are still hungry for talent. If you see a "Yellow Light" (competitors laying off), use your 60-day runway to translate your skills into these growing sectors. A project manager at a tech firm has the exact organizational skills needed in a rapidly expanding health system.

With unemployment at 4.3% and wages cooling, we are shifting from a "seller’s market" to a more balanced one. If the Jobs Report shows high unemployment in your specific niche, prioritize job security and speed over holding out for a 20% raise.

The Oracle layoffs are a stark reminder that in 2026, loyalty is often a one-way street. But you aren't powerless. By monitoring your state’s WARN filings and keeping an eye on the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) industry data, you can spot the iceberg before the ship actually hits it.

The goal isn't just to survive a layoff, it’s to have your next offer signed before the 60-day notice even expires. That’s how you build a moat around your life.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.