The Market In 5 Minutes: Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Below is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day -- it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. Apply for daily AM access by clicking here or email minutes@benzinga.com.

Macro Focus

Two explosions ripped through Brussels airport Tuesday morning as hundreds of passengers were trying to check in. An hour later, an explosion hit Maelbeek metro station, close to the EU institutions. More than two dozen people have been killed, with dozens more injured.

USA FHFA House Price Index for January came out at 230.70 vs. 229.70 prior. USA FHFA House Price Index month-over-month for January 0.50 percent, in-line with estimates. USA FHFA House Price Index year-over-year for January was 6.00 percent vs. 5.70 percent prior.

Philly Fed Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index for March was 13.9 vs. 3.6 in February. The U.S. Dollar Index was trading higher amid this improvement.

In a news conference Monday, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro sparred over human rights, the Guantanamo prison and their views of their own countries and the world, even as both hailed Obama's historic visit here as a new step in normalizing relations.

BZ Newsdesk Focus

Probes Reporter went mega-bear on Prospect Capital PSEC, saying the company is protecting itself with "coordinated" attacks to silence critics.

Airliners such as Delta DAL, American Airlines AAL and United Continental UAL were selling off following the Brussels attacks, though all said no employees or passengers had been injured.

The iPhone SE was the big release traders and consumers were anticipating from Apple's AAPL Spring event. The 16GB version will start at $399 -- Apple's cheapest to date -- and the company will begin taking orders on March 24 (expected to ship a week later). Apple also introduced a new iPad Pro, which at 9.7 inches is smaller than the original and weighs less than one pound.

How did the Cuba ETF CUBA reverse an 8 percent gain to an 8 percent loss after one press conference?

Sell-Side Themes

Just about every analyst talked about Apple and its new product launches. The event went as expected, although many firms were surprised by the price of the iPhone SE. The phone will start at $399 -- analysts anticipated around $449-$499.

The rally for oil service is running out, according to JPMorgan. Check back on Benzinga for further analysis on the commodity sector.

Sterne Agee CRT initiated coverage across the distribution sector amid "extremely low" expectations.

Sell-Side's Most Noteworthy Calls

Macau is still risky, but Morgan Stanley sees 30 percent upside in Wynn Resorts WYNN. Expectations of Wynn's market share growing from 10 percent to 13–14 percent following the opening of Wynn Palace could prove conservative, given the company's history.

Rodman & Renshaw reiterated a Buy on Valeant VRX and still think the stock is worth $118 despite its current "soap opera."

Summit maintained a Buy rating for Intel INTC, while reducing the price target to $38. The analyst mentioned the company’s performance in Q1 and Q2 may be impacted by the dreadful performance of Taiwanese PC ODMs, as iPad fears loom.

RBC upgraded Zillow ZG and raised the price target from $21 to $34. The analyst noted that both the annual real estate agent survey and consumer survey had yielded positive results.

Although Petrobas' PBR fundamentals have not improved as yet and its balance sheet continues to pose a risk, improving investor sentiment on oil markets is expected to support the company's shares.

Deal Talk

Switzerland's Roche RHHBY, the UK's AstraZeneca AZN and French group Sanofi SNY were among names noted in the market as potential suitors for U.S. cancer drug group Medivation MDVN, according to a report in The Daily Mail. The stock rose about $1 on Monday and was up another 2 percent Tuesday morning.

Red Robin RRGB bought 13 franchise restaurants in Texas.

What's Up In The News?

The Justice Department said it may no longer need Apple's assistance in opening an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino rampage last year. The disclosure led a judge to postpone a court hearing over the issue and temporarily sidesteps what has become a bitter clash with the world's most valuable company.

The presidential race shifts west today, with voters in both parties deciding in Arizona and Utah, and Idaho Democrats holding caucuses. Here's a primer from the New York Times.

Bloomberg notes how in the Southern California town of Beaumont, Wal-Mart WMT shoppers must first drive past the new Aldi, a recent addition to the family-owned German grocery-store chain that is beating the U.S. retail giant at its own game: selling food at rock-bottom prices.

Five facts about the relationship between the United States and Cuba, via Pew Research Center.

Academia

Since 1976, GOP nominees have been victorious at a greater rate in states they lost during the primary season than in those they won.

An eight-week crash diet could actually totally reverse type 2 diabetes, completely eradicating the disease even six months after stopping the diet, according to a Newscastle University statement.

Blogosphere

Why are mortgage lenders constrained to seeing their interest rates to a rate that is somewhat controlled by the Fed? Find out what Reddittors are saying.

"While a flood of cheap, relatively-clean gas has damaged prospects for coal-fired electricity generation in the U.S. and in Europe," Gadfly's David Flickling says, "the same isn't happening in China. Imports of LNG actually fell last year, even if not quite as precipitously as the decline in coal shipments."

The Washington Post met with Donald Trump. "Electing him will still be a radical risk," the paper says.

Buy-Side

Ally Financial ALLY said it will appoint a new independent director to its board, who will be identified in consultation with Lion Point Capital as well as some of Ally's other largest shareholders.

FBR FBRC 5.2 percent holder Voce Capital intends to nominate three candidates to the board.

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