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 MarketThe S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6% to 8,569 on Monday, extending losses from the previous week as escalating tensions in the Middle East continued to raise concerns about global growth and inflation. Over the weekend, the US struck military targets near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, and warned it could expand attacks on energy infrastructure if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. The developments pushed oil prices higher and heightened fears of supply shocks that could reignite inflation, increasing expectations of further interest rate hikes from the central bank. The RBA is set to deliver its monetary policy decision on Tuesday, with markets expecting a back-to-back rate hike that would lift the cash rate to 4.1%. Materials stocks were among the main drags, with mining giants BHP Group, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue falling 0.9% to 2.9%. Gold producers also declined, with Newmont Corporation, Evolution Mining, and Northern Star Resources down 3.3% to 5.6%.
