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Informist, Monday, Mar. 16, 2026                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

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Equity Alert: Asian indices open dn as crude oil prices stay around $100/bbl

 

MUMBAI--0738 IST--Asia markets opened lower as crude oil prices remain around $100 a barrel after US President Donald Trump warned he would consider attacking key oil infrastructure in Iran. Crude oil prices remained high despite meaures by the US and its allies to ease supply in oil markets amid the escalating conflict in West Asia.

 

At 0743 IST, the May futures of crude oil were at $104.17 per barrel. Japan's Nikkei fell the most among its peers in early trade, declining over 1%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.5%. Monday, US stock futures rose slightly, even as major indices closed in the red on Friday, down for another week.

 

As oil prices continue their climb, Asian economies that heavily depend on crude oil from West Asia are particularly vulnerable. A report by Goldman Sachs estimates that the jump in energy prices due to the US-Iran conflict could shave off nearly 0.3% from global GDP growth next year. The war could also push headline inflation up roughly 0.5-0.6%, CNBC reported, citing the Goldman Sachs report. The bank said that if the critical shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz continues to be shut, it could add pressure on inflation and growth and significantly impact Asia and Europe, as per the CNBC report. 

 

Following were the levels of Major Asian indices at 0806 IST:

 

Index	Level	Change in %
CSI 300 Index	4644.38	(-)0.53
Hang Seng Index	25532.08	0.26
Nikkei 225 Day	53138.42	(-)1.27
TOPIX FIRST SECTION	3589.21	(-)1.10
KOSPI	5481.19	(-)0.11
FTSE Singapore Strait Times	4840.77	(-)0.03
S&P/ASX 200 Index	8581.70	(-)0.27

 

(Shruti Nair)

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Equity Alert:US futures rise as US-Iran conflict continues; Nasdaq dn 1% Fri

 

MUMBAI--0720 IST--Major US stock futures rose even as crude oil prices dragged down indices, which struggled to recover from another losing session. Futures contracts of Dow Jones industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 were up around 0.4?ch at 0707 IST. On Friday, all three indices had closed in the red, with the Nasdaq Composite witnessing the steepest fall of nearly 1%.

 

Amid conflicting statements coming from Tehran and Washington, the war in West Asia showed no signs of diffusing and continued to keep crude oil prices above the $100-per-barrel mark as the critical trade route of the Strait of Hormuz remained shut. At 0710 IST, the May futures of Brent crude oil were $103.51 per barrel. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that Tehran wanted to make a deal with Washington but he was not ready yet. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran never requested a ceasefire. On Friday, the US ordered strikes on Iran's military assets on Kharg Island but did not target any oil infrastructure, though Trump warned that he would consider doing so if Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz shut, CNBC reported.

 

Given the pressure on crude oil prices, the US has eased some sanctions on Russian crude oil to stablilise the energy markets. The sanctions had first been imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Reports by the Wall Street Journal also claim that the US could announce within this week a coalition of countries to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC reported. The White House had declined to comment on the matter.

 

Fears of inflation grew among investors as they braced themselves for a protracted conflict in West Asia and rapidly repriced their expectations from central banks. Traders now anticipitate only a 20-basis-point rate cut from the US Federal Reserve compared to the expectation of a 50-bps cut last month, CNBC reported.

 

Following are the closing levels of US indices Friday:

 

Index	Level	Change in %
S&P 500	6632.19	(-)0.61
NASDAQ Composite	22105.359	(-)0.93
Dow Jones Industrial Average	46558.47	(-)0.26

 

 

(Shruti Nair)

 

US$1 = INR 92.46

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.

All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.

All times are Indian Standard Time.

 

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