MW How to handle your investment portfolio during a period of conflict

By Philip van Doorn

Also: A favorite stock of Warren Buffett that insiders are buying; investing for value; and how to protect loved ones from scammers

Israel's conflict with Iran appeared unlikely to end soon, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Friday that it would continue the attacks with the objective of reducing Iran's military and nuclear capabilities "for as many days as it takes."

In the Need to Know column early on Friday, Jamie Chisholm looked at how various geographical and asset-class markets had reacted during and after previous military confrontations, which together suggested what actions investors should take during times of conflict.

The Need to Know column includes opinions from financial professionals every morning. It's useful for traders and long-term investors. You can sign up to have it waiting in your inbox.

More conflict-related coverage:

-- Early on Friday, front-month contract prices for West Texas crude oil CL00 on the New York Mercantile Exchange were up as much as 14% to $77.61 a barrel before easing back to a 7% gain at $72.55. Prior to Israel's attack, analysts at JPMorgan warned that oil could rise to $120.

-- Claudia Assis pointed to particular risks faced by Chevron Corp. CVX as a result of Israel's attack on Iran.

-- Steve Goldstein highlighted a pattern in the oil market similar to what took place during the conflict between Iran and Israel in April of last year.

-- The conflict promised to add to a slowing trend for international travel and airline stocks, as James Rogers reported.

-- Charlie Garcia described three scenarios for the Israel/Iran conflict and how various types of investments might perform under each.

Stock screen: These defense stocks offer the best growth prospects, as the Israel-Iran conflict fuels new interest in the sector

Investments for your family's future

DoubleLine Chief Executive Jeffrey Gundlach took a very long view when discussing risks and opportunities for investors during an interview with Bloomberg. He suggested investing in a particular asset class and this country "for your grandchildren's college fund."

A tragic "first" for Boeing's Dreamliner

It could take a long time for us to learn what caused the crash of Air India Flight 171, but the tragedy was the first fatal crash for Boeing Co.'s $(BA)$ 787 Dreamliner. Claudia Assis looked into what the crash might mean for Boeing's flagship aircraft and the company's recovery.

Tomi Kilgore covered the long road through safety and regulatory problems for Boeing and how the company's stock had been rebounding before the Air India crash.

Corporate insiders have been buying these stocks

There are many ways to identify stocks for potential investment. One first step can be to identify which senior corporate managers are so confident that they have been using their own money to buy their companies' shares. Michael Brush listed four companies with heavy insider buying, including one of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's favorite stocks.

For traders: Momentum stocks that helped drive the market's epic recovery are stalling. Get ready for a 'buyable' pullback.

Be careful: What AI can - and can't - do for investors right now

Where are value stock strategies working?

The S&P 500 SPX traded at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 21.8 at the close on Thursday, up from 21.2 a year earlier and compared with a 10-year average valuation of 18.7.

With the U.S. large-cap benchmark index (a growth-oriented index because of its heavy weighting to Big Tech) appearing expensive, and with this year's market gyrations in the wake of President Donald Trump's fluctuating trade policies, some investors have been turning toward value stocks. These stocks trade at lower P/E valuations, as the companies are often slower growers and some of the stocks feature attractive dividend yields.

But value stocks have performed better in some markets than in others, as Joseph Adinolfi explained.

More: You can still find hot tech stocks as a value investor - if you take this approach

Another screen: 20 stocks bucking bad trends on Wall Street - what might be next for them?

Retirement planning

This week in the Help Me Retire column, Alessandra Malito answered two questions from MarketWatch readers:

-- My retirement account has more than my wife's - how should we split the money we save?

-- I'm 55 with a state pension in my future. Do I have to save as much as other people?

The Moneyist takes on the scammers

This week, Quentin Fottrell - the Moneyist - tackled a problem faced by many families who have been surprised that relatives can fall for what appear to be ridiculous online scams. He summed up the problem: "The smartest people can fall victim to scams at a vulnerable moment and suspend their disbelief."

Fottrell helped a reader whose mother-in-law fell for such a scam. Here are practical steps the family can take to protect the victim's assets from subsequent scam attempts.

More from the Moneyist:

-- My husband is in hospice care. Friends say his children are lining up for his money. What can I do?

-- My father-in-law has dementia and is moving in with us. Can we invoice him for a caregiver?

-- 'I'm 68 and my 401(k) has dwindled to $82,000': My husband committed financial infidelity and has $50,000 in credit-card debt. What now?

If you have to pay anyway, why not be rewarded?

Charles Passy explained how to make money while paying your monthly expenses.

IPO updates

Initial public offerings of stock can be boom-or-bust moments for investors. Here are two updates on recent IPOs from Steve Gelsi:

-- Chime built a business on free banking, and the stock is soaring in its debut

-- eToro wins analyst praise for user-friendly trading, but the stock gets mixed reviews

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-Philip van Doorn

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June 13, 2025 11:52 ET (15:52 GMT)

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