Stocks slide as Middle East conflict fans inflation fearsA 3D-printed oil pump jack, Iranian flag, and a rising stock graph appear in this illustration taken on Monday. "Economic policy uncertainty was already elevated and now with the Iran conflict, the geopolitical risk is expected to rise too," said Rupal Agarwal, Asia quant strategist at Bernstein in Singapore. "Last ‌time both spiked was in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which didn’t work well for Asian markets." In natural gas markets, benchmark European and Asian LNG prices leapt ​by ‌around 40% on Monday. The odds of a June hold, previously below 50%, edged up on Monday and ​are now slightly better than a coin-toss.

Source: Bangkok Post March 03, 2026 04:02 UTC