Marvell, Salesforce, Others Show Big Moves; Fed Speech Looms

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is scheduled to deliver a speech, capturing the attention of market participants for potential guidance on monetary policy. This event arrives as several technology stocks demonstrated notable price action. Marvell Technology (MRVL) saw a decline of 1.49%, while Salesforce ($CRM+WL) experienced a substantial rise of 22.58%. Other movers included Affirm Holdings (AFRM) up 1.35% and PayPal (PYPL) down 0.55%. Nvidia (NVDA) also saw a notable gain of 8.74%.

### Story Arc / How We Got Here This increased focus on economic policy and corporate movements echoes the U.S. government's prior efforts to influence global economic conditions. On August 20, 2026, reports indicated that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged allies to support strategies aimed at 'squashing' Iran's economy to avert military conflict. The current market sentiment, influenced by upcoming Fed commentary and the movement in tech stocks, reflects a broader environment of geopolitical and economic strategic maneuvering.

### Money Play N/A

### Story Arc / How We Got Here

This follows our earlier coverage ([US Urges Allies to Back Plans to 'Squash' Iran Economy](/explore/global-risk-us-urges-allies-to-back-plans-to-squash-iran-economy)) on 2026-08-20. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling on international partners to support Washington's strategy to "squash" Iran's economy. The push aims to increase economic isolation on Tehran, with further details slated for an August 24 press conference. The intensified pressure is intended to reduce the need for military conflict. · Defense spending: Budget and contract news often move primes, software peers, and defense ETFs.