South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Asian Stocks Slide as Oil Surge, U.S.-Iran Tensions and Fed Rate Bets Weigh on Markets 
European Stocks Slip as Middle East Tensions and Hormuz Threat Rattle Markets 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Asian Currencies Weaken as Stronger Dollar Weighs, Yen Supported by GPIF Repatriation Hopes 
Iraq PM Visits Washington as U.S. Oil, Gas Deals Take Center Stage 
Gold Prices Fall as US-Iran Conflict, Rising Oil Prices Fuel Fed Rate Concerns 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Dollar Rises as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation and Rate Hike Fears 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
South Korea’s KOSPI Triggers Trading Curb as AI Chip Stock Selloff Deepens 
Asia Stocks Slip as Iran-Hormuz Tensions Lift Oil Prices, Dollar and Bond Yields 
China is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the tenth straight month in March, according to a Reuters poll, as soaring global oil prices fueled by escalating Middle East conflict introduce fresh uncertainty into the inflation landscape.
Beijing's 2026 economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% — marginally lower than last year's 5% expansion — combined with stronger-than-expected economic data in early 2026, has lessened the urgency for immediate monetary stimulus, analysts say. All 20 participants in a Reuters survey anticipate the one-year and five-year Loan Prime Rates (LPR) to hold at 3.00% and 3.50%, respectively. The LPR is determined monthly when 20 designated commercial banks submit proposed rates to the People's Bank of China (PBOC).
Global oil prices have surged approximately 50% since the outbreak of the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran, sending shockwaves through international financial markets. While Standard Chartered analysts note that a moderate, temporary oil price increase may have limited impact on China's economy, they caution that a deeper escalation — particularly one that restricts key commodity supplies — could disrupt global supply chains and dampen Chinese exports and growth. This risk has led them to push back their forecast for a reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cut to the second quarter and delay an anticipated policy rate reduction to the third quarter.
Not all analysts share the same concern. MUFG China's chief financial market analyst Marco Sun argues that China's sufficient energy reserves provide a strong buffer against external energy shocks, and that the PBOC will continue pursuing an accommodative monetary policy to manage domestic financing pressures.
The rate-hold outlook also aligns with global trends, as the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada both maintained a hawkish stance this week, citing inflation risks driven by rising energy costs from the ongoing Iran conflict.
