Asia-Pacific stocks open higher as oil slide eases inflation jitters
Regional equities advanced after Brent crude fell 2.84% to $100.21 and WTI dropped 5.28% to $93.50, lifting Wall Street and easing pressure on inflation-sensitive sectors.
Tag
Auto-generated tag.
Regional equities advanced after Brent crude fell 2.84% to $100.21 and WTI dropped 5.28% to $93.50, lifting Wall Street and easing pressure on inflation-sensitive sectors.
Investor Scott Bessent pushed back on market chatter that the U.S. Treasury could step into oil markets, saying the department neither is intervening nor has the legal authority to do so—clarity that tempers speculation around inflation and rate expectations.
Salesforce is accelerating share repurchases, leaning on stronger margins and cash flow to return capital. Here’s what changed, why it matters for the market, and how different investor groups could be affected.
President Trump said U.S. forces struck military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and called on countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran warned neighbors against involvement, elevating geopolitical risk for oil and global markets.
U.S. stocks fell for a third straight week as a war-driven surge in oil prices weighed on risk appetite and revived inflation concerns. Here’s what moved markets and what investors are watching next.
Asia-Pacific stocks traded in different directions on March 16, 2026, with investors gauging the impact of crude near $100 a barrel, elevated geopolitical risk, and the approaching Q1 earnings season on inflation, rates, and margins.
Global crude benchmarks settled above $100 for a second straight session, with markets prioritizing Middle East risk over U.S. efforts to cool energy costs. Comments from President Donald Trump suggesting no quick end to the conflict involving Iran kept geopolitical premiums in focus.
Asian markets fell after Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the Strait of Hormuz should remain shut, intensifying energy-supply concerns and heightening uncertainty over a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
Microsoft said Rajesh Jha, the veteran executive who helped bring its AI assistant to Office customers, is retiring after more than three decades. The leadership change arrives as markets track how Big Tech steers AI across core productivity software.