Geopolitics Alpha

Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die

Published . Updated .

Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of ‘mass hysteria’? Or are they from attacks with an energy weapon and, if so, who is responsible? And has there been a cover-up? Shortly after 1am one night in April 2019, a CIA officer on a work trip to London was jolted awake in his hotel room by the most intense head pain he had ever experienced. His body was soaked with sweat and he felt like his eyes were spinning in their sockets. He manoeuvred his way out of bed, hoping to make it to the bathroom to vomit, but found his sense of balance had deserted him. Eventually, he fell back into a fitful, shallow sleep. The next day, arriving at the work meeting he had travelled for, the officer found he could not remember the names of colleagues in the room, people he knew well. As the meeting got under way, he could barely follow the discussion. Initially, he chalked it up to a terrible – if rather odd – case of food poisoning. But over subsequent weeks, worrying symptoms persisted: brain fog, loss of balance and increasingly harsh tinnitus. Continue reading...

Directly affected

  • PPLI People

    Named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • LMT Lockheed Martin

    Defense contractors get more work when conflict spending rises

  • RTX RTX

    Defense contractors get more work when conflict spending rises

  • NOC Northrop Grumman

    Defense contractors get more work when conflict spending rises

  • GD General Dynamics

    Defense contractors get more work when conflict spending rises

  • XOM Exxon Mobil

    Oil producers earn more when crude prices rise

  • CVX Chevron

    Oil producers earn more when crude prices rise

  • ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense

    A fund of aerospace and defense companies

  • BA Boeing

    Defense and aerospace orders move with conflict spending

  • LHX L3Harris

    Defense contractors get more work when conflict spending rises

  • HII Huntington Ingalls

    Shipyards benefit when naval spending rises

Price reaction, T-5 to T+3

TickerT-5T-3T-1T0T+1T+2T+3
PPLI———————
LMT———————
RTX———————
NOC———————
GD+0.12%-1.46%—+1.14%+0.35%+0.99%+1.70%
XOM———————
CVX-2.61%-3.22%—+1.43%+2.75%+4.76%+3.48%
ITA+0.06%-1.47%—-0.28%-1.26%-1.17%+0.09%
BA+1.20%-1.13%—-0.50%-2.05%-3.08%-0.90%
LHX———————
HII+0.73%-1.48%—-0.20%-2.61%-0.05%+1.02%

Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of ‘mass hysteria’? Or are they from attacks with an energy weapon and, if so, who is responsible? And has there been a cover-up?…

Source: The Guardian

How far IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) has moved since 12 Oct 2026

Since the first closing price after “Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die,” IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is +1.74%. The S&P 500 fund (SPY) is -1.47% over the same days, a +3.21% difference versus the market. industrial stocks (XLI) is -1.14%, a +2.89% difference versus that group of stocks.

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
BAthat day-0.50%final price
BAthe next day-2.05%final price
BAtwo days later-3.08%final price
BAthree days later-0.90%final price
BAthree days earlier-1.13%final price
BAfive days earlier+1.20%final price
CVXthat day+1.43%final price
CVXthe next day+2.75%final price
CVXtwo days later+4.76%final price
CVXthree days later+3.48%final price
CVXthree days earlier-3.22%final price
CVXfive days earlier-2.61%final price
GDthat day+1.14%final price
GDthe next day+0.35%final price
GDtwo days later+0.99%final price
GDthree days later+1.70%final price
GDthree days earlier-1.46%final price
GDfive days earlier+0.12%final price
HIIthat day-0.20%final price
HIIthe next day-2.61%final price
HIItwo days later-0.05%final price
HIIthree days later+1.02%final price
HIIthree days earlier-1.48%final price
HIIfive days earlier+0.73%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)that day-0.28%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)the next day-1.26%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)two days later-1.17%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)three days later+0.09%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)three days earlier-1.47%final price
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)five days earlier+0.06%final price
ITA
SPY
XLI

Who collects and who pays in defense

Companies tied to this story

  • ITA IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

    In “Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die,” IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: GA selected ITA as a RELATED security because its canonical security name directly matches this event's themes: defense. This is an explainable DERIVED market relationship, not a claim that the security was named in the source article

  • PPA Invesco Aerospace & Defense Etf

    Invesco Aerospace & Defense Etf (PPA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 12 Oct 2026 story “Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die.” Reason on file: GA selected PPA as a RELATED security because its canonical security name directly matches this event's themes: defense. This is an explainable DERIVED market relationship, not a claim that the security was named in the source article

  • WAR U.S. Global Technology And Aerospace & Defense Etf

    For “Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die,” U.S. Global Technology And Aerospace & Defense Etf (WAR) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: GA selected WAR as a RELATED security because its canonical security name directly matches this event's themes: defense. This is an explainable DERIVED market relationship, not a claim that the security was named in the source article

How defense news reaches IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)

IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is the company in “Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die,” the 12 Oct 2026 Defense story.

For IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA), the reason on file says GA selected ITA as a RELATED security because its canonical security name directly matches this event's themes: defense. This is an explainable DERIVED market relationship, not a claim that the security was named in the source article

Also listed, Invesco Aerospace & Defense Etf (PPA): GA selected PPA as a RELATED security because its canonical security name directly matches this event's themes: defense. This is an explainable DERIVED market relationship, not a claim that the security was named in the source article

What this defense story puts on the calendar

ITA traded between 201.08 and 217.79 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 207.60. PPA traded between 151.56 and 162.12 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 156.07. WAR traded between 27.98 and 32.67 across 18 sessions. The latest close on file is 28.45.

A simple score for IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)

27 out of 100

“Why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die” scores 27 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 3 linked companies.