My top 10 things to watch Thursday, April 2 1. Stock futures are down big this morning after President Donald Trump's primetime address on the Iran war stoked escalation concerns. Trump said he expects it to last another two to three weeks , and he alluded to bombing electricity infrastructure if there's no deal with Tehran. He called on countries that rely on oil exported through the Strait of Hormuz to "just take it" and "protect it." 2. The major averages had another positive session yesterday, but there was horrendous leadership. Not the kind of encouraging follow-through from Tuesday's rip higher that we wanted to see. And now, after the president's misdirection play, we're dealing with surging oil prices again this morning. U.S. crude benchmark WTI is up 9% to $109 a barrel. Will be hard to contain this stock decline. 3. Bank of America upgraded Vale to buy from hold, saying investors are getting an attractive entry point in the iron ore producer. Vale's stock is down almost 7% since the Iran war began, yet iron ore prices have rallied about 8%. I like this call. Stock could have a run. 4. Website builder Wix was downgraded to hold from buy at UBS. Analysts believe its 2026 outlook implies growth for its core business will decelerate to 8% this year from 12% last year. Wix has worked to integrate artificial intelligence capabilities into its offerings. But I still think this is the kind of company easily disrupted by AI. 5. Cheniere Energy's price target was increased to $330 from $280 at Citigroup, which also reiterated its buy rating. Supply disruptions in the Middle East could benefit U.S. liquefied natural gas exports long after the conflict is over. Cheniere is the cleanest, most established way to play the American LNG boom . Shares are up about 17% since the war broke out. 6. TD Cowen lowered its price targets on the airlines ahead of first-quarter earnings, saying investors are skeptical of the durability of travel demand in the face of higher energy prices. Analysts went to $120 from $140 on United , $15 from $17 on American Airlines , and $76 from $77 on Delta . Still kept a buy rating on all three. They cut hold-rated Southwest to $46 from $56. Airline stocks are getting whacked this morning thanks to the oil price surge. 7. KeyBanc upgraded Brinker International to buy from hold, arguing Chili's strong sales momentum will continue into next fiscal year. A new chicken sandwich lineup launching this month should help drive sales, analysts said. They also see a path for restaurant-level margins to keep expanding, benefiting both earnings and the stock's valuation. Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman has done an impressive job revitalizing Chili's. 8. Mizuho Securities upped its price target on Cava Group to $80 from $72 but kept its neutral rating. TD Cowen went to $100 from $90 and reiterated its buy. The Mediterranean chain is seeing a ton of love from restaurant analysts lately. After collapsing last year, the stock has nearly doubled off its November low. 9. Wells Fargo remains skeptical of the Paramount Skydance story, taking its price target to $8 from $10 and sticking with its sell rating. Assuming Paramount's deal for Warner Bros Discovery closes, analysts are worried about the combined company's debt load until they see how it executes. 10. Citi cut its price target on Club name Boeing to $256 from $290 but kept its buy rating. This stock has struggled during the Middle East conflict, along with other travel-related stocks. But the orders for its planes haven't gone anywhere, so shares could be in for a major rebound once the war overhang is lifted. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
