Oil shock's rate repricing: G4 holds, gold bullish, dollar firms

Oil shock, rate repricing, and a hawkish dilemma. The Middle East conflict has thrown global markets into turmoil, sparking rate hike speculation even as G4 central banks hold steady. Will the 'transitory' argument survive soaring crude prices? What’s up with the firm dollar, bullish gold, and stag…

Energy Strikes, Arms Sales, and Central Banks on Alert

Headline news for March 20, 2026: Trump orders Israel to halt strikes on Iranian energy sites as tit-for-tat attacks on Gulf infrastructure send oil toward $119. G7 central banks warn they are ready to act on inflation. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Tim…

War rages, oil soars, yen wobbles: stagflation fears mount

Market news for March 19, 2026: Stocks slid and oil prices rose sharply today after a major escalation in the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran rattled investors, fuelling stagflation fears as central banks worldwide grapple with surging energy costs. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell r…

Oil at $107, a Hawkish Fed, and a War That's Widening

Headline news for March 19, 2026: Israel strikes Iran's South Pars gas field, triggering retaliatory attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure. Oil surges past $107. The Fed holds rates steady amid rising inflation fears from the widening war. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day…

Asia rallies, oil prices ease, war clouds remain

Market news for March 18, 2026: Asian shares rallied as oil prices eased on an Iraq-Turkey deal, shifting focus to the Fed's balance of growth and inflation risks amid escalating Middle East conflict and Iran's defiant strikes. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business…

Tehran Loses Its Strongman as Trump Turns on NATO

Headline news for March 18, 2026: Iran confirms the killing of security chief Ali Larijani as its new supreme leader rejects peace overtures. Trump clashes with NATO over the Strait of Hormuz. Oil pulls back on rising US stockpiles. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The…

Asian stocks climb on rate hopes despite Middle East conflict

Market news for March 17, 2026: Stocks climbed on rate hopes despite Middle East conflict, led by Asia-Pacific gains. Australia hiked rates amid sticky inflation, setting a cautious tone for major central banks weighing the Iran war's impact. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup …

Hormuz Standoff, AI Rally and Singapore's Export Slowdown

Headline news for March 17, 2026: War in the Gulf reshapes global energy as allies rebuff Trump's call for warships. AI drives Wall Street higher amid Meta layoffs. Singapore exports slow as regional disruption deepens. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Tim…

Asian markets wary, oil high, rates on pause

Market news for March 16, 2026: Asian markets were wary as Gulf tensions kept oil high, complicating inflation outlooks and leading central banks to pause or, in one case, hike rates. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market moveme…

War, Oil and the Waterway the World Depends On

Headline news for March 16, 2026: The US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week, has largely choked the Strait of Hormuz, rattling global energy markets and prompting Trump to rally allies to help reopen the vital waterway. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busi…