S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico MarketAustralia’s NAB Business Confidence Index plunged to -29 in March 2026 from an upwardly revised zero in the prior month, marking the second-largest monthly drop on record and the weakest reading since April 2020. The sharp deterioration reflected fallout from the Iran war, which triggered a global oil shock and weighed heavily on sentiment. Despite collapsing confidence, business conditions held steady at 6. Sales edged lower (11 vs 12), while profitability weakened (1 vs 4), highlighting margin pressures as input costs surged 3% q/q. Firms appear unable to fully pass on higher costs, with retail price growth easing to 0.5% from 0.9%, signaling softer pricing power. The Reserve Bank raised its policy rate for a second time in March to 4.1%, partially reversing last year’s easing. With fuel costs surging amid Middle East tensions, the central bank warned headline inflation could climb to around 5% in Q2, underscoring the already challenging outlook for businesses.
