Oil Prices Jump as U.S.-Iran Tensions Threaten Hormuz 
US Dollar Hits Two-Week High After Hawkish Fed Speech 
Gold Prices Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise 
Asian Stocks Slide as U.S.-Iran Fighting Lifts Oil Prices 
Canadian Dollar Slides as Fed Rate Hike Bets Boost US Dollar 
Wall Street Slips as Warsh’s Hawkish Fed Speech Rattles Markets 
Tokyo Inflation Rises in August as BOJ Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Iran Weighs Conditions to Reopen Strait of Hormuz 
UAE Central Bank Probes Banque Misr Over Iran Links 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Nears 160, Oil Surges 
Oil Prices Jump as U.S.-Iran Tensions Threaten Hormuz Supply 
Fed Chair Warsh Faces Key Jackson Hole Test 
Bessent Defends US Yen Intervention Over Treasury Market Risks 
Sweden Retail Sales Slip 0.2% in July 
China Manufacturing PMI Contracts Again as Recovery Remains Fragile 
Asian Tech Stocks Slide as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise 
US Treasury Plans Weekly Iran Sanctions Push 
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Asian stocks fell broadly on Monday as investors reacted to hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, which drove oil prices higher and renewed inflation concerns.
The regional weakness followed losses on Wall Street on Friday, while U.S. stock futures also declined during Asian trading. Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech prompted markets to increase expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates as early as September.
South Korea’s KOSPI dropped 1.5%, pressured by major semiconductor stocks including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 1.1%, while the broader TOPIX slipped 0.5%. The USD/JPY exchange rate briefly climbed above 160 yen.
Warsh said the Fed would have more work to do if policymakers lacked confidence that underlying inflation was moving sustainably toward the central bank’s 2% target. Following his remarks, markets raised the probability of a September interest-rate hike to about 60%, up from roughly 35% beforehand.
Geopolitical risks added to market pressure. Brent crude climbed above $90 per barrel after U.S. forces struck Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Iran reportedly retaliated by targeting U.S. forces stationed in Jordan, raising concerns about further disruptions to Middle East energy supplies.
Chinese stocks also weakened, with the Shanghai Composite falling 0.2% and the CSI 300 losing 0.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.8%, while the Hang Seng TECH Index dropped 1.5%.
China’s official manufacturing PMI improved to 49.8 in August from 49.2 in July, beating forecasts but remaining below the 50 level that separates expansion from contraction. Non-manufacturing data continued to signal weakness across services and construction.
Japan delivered stronger economic figures, with July industrial production rising 0.1% month-on-month against expectations for a 0.7% decline. Retail sales increased 2.4%, indicating resilience in domestic demand.
India’s Nifty 50 futures slipped 0.2% ahead of Tuesday’s MSCI index rebalancing. Elsewhere, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.4%, bucking the broader Asian market decline.
