Stocks extend gains and oil dips as US, Israel, Iran continue strikes

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday and oil prices dipped following another tech-led advance on Wall Street, as the United States hit Iranian missile sites near the key Strait of Hormuz and Tehran struck crude-producing Gulf neighbours.

While the war in the Middle East shows no sign of ending and oil has stuck around $100 a barrel -- threatening to fuel a fresh inflation spike -- equity traders have shifted back into the market after the steep losses suffered at the outset of the conflict.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmw@H6G6C[ 2?2=JDED H2C?65 E96 A@D:E:G6 >@@5 4@F=5 7256 :7 E96 4C:D:D 5C28D @? 2?5 6?6C8J 4@DED DA:C2= H:E9 w@C>FK \\ E9C@F89 H9:49 2 7:7E9 @7 8=@32= @:= 2?5 82D 7=@H \\ 67764E:G6=J 4=@D65 3J xC2? 2D 2? 64@?@>:4 H62A@?]k^Am

kAm%92E 4@>6D H:E9 46?EC2= 32?<D :?4C62D:?8=J :? 2 3:?5 2D E96 ?665 7@C =@H6C :?E6C6DE C2E6D E@ DFAA@CE E96 64@?@>J 8@6D FA 282:?DE E96 AC@DA64E @7 C:D:?8 AC:46D[ H9:49 H@F=5 ?665 9:896C 3@CC@H:?8 4@DED]k^Am

kAmx? 2 3:5 E@ 62D6 EC277:4 E9C@F89 E96 4CF4:2= $EC2:E[ &$ 7@C46D 5C@AA65 D6G6C2= d[___\A@F?5 Wa[ad_ <8X 3@>3D @? Q92C56?65 xC2?:2? >:DD:=6 D:E6DQ ?62C E96 4@2DE[ r6?EC2= r@>>2?5 D2:5]k^Am

kAmxC2? 92D D@F89E E@ 6IEC24E 2 962GJ E@== @? E96 8=@32= 64@?@>J :? C6E2=:2E:@? 7@C E96 &$\xDC26=: 2EE24<[ :?4=F5:?8 3J 5C:G:?8 FA E96 4@DE @7 @:=]k^Am

kAm&$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A @? %F6D52J 7F>65 E92E 2==:6D[ H9:49 92G6 =2C86=J 5:DE2?465 E96>D6=G6D 7C@> 9:D H2C[ H6C6 ?@E =:?:?8 FA E@ 96=A 6D4@CE E2?<6CD E9C@F89 w@C>FK]k^Am

kAm%96 2EE24<D 42>6 2D xDC26= 2??@F?465 :E 925 <:==65 D64FC:EJ 49:67 p=: {2C:;2?:[ 2 <6J 7@C46 =625:?8 xC2? D:?46 E96 562E9 @7 $FAC6>6 {6256C pJ2E@==29 p=: z92>6?6: :? E96 7:CDE DEC:<6D @7 E96 H2C]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ $2F5: pC23:2 :?E6C46AE65 D:I 5C@?6D 2?5 zFH2:EVD 2:C 5676?46D C6DA@?565 E@ 2 C@4<6E 2?5 5C@?6 2EE24<[ 2FE9@C:E:6D 7C@> 3@E9 4@F?EC:6D D2:5 (65?6D52J[ H9:=6 EH@ A6@A=6 H6C6 <:==65 3J >:DD:=6D ?62C %6= pG:G] k^Am

kAmxDC26= 2=D@ 9:E 2 46?EC2= q6:CFE ?6:893@FC9@@5 2D :E =@@<D E@ E2<6 @FE E96 xC2?\324<65 w6K3@==29]k^Am

kAm#JDE25 t?6C8J 6DE:>2E65 ;FDE `a]d >:==:@? 32CC6=D A6C 52J @7 |:55=6 t2DE6C? @:= C6>2:?D @?=:?6[ 5@H? 7C@> E96 a` >:==:@? A6C 52J AC6\H2C 32D6]k^Am

kAmQqFE E96 `a]d >:==:@? 3A5 7:8FC6 :D ?@E D64FC6[Q #JDE25 D2:5] Qx7 E96 Ww@C>FKX D:EF2E:@? A6CD:DED[ E96 5C@A :? 56A2CEFC6D 4@F=5 DE2CE 7665:?8 E9C@F89 :?E@ 255:E:@?2= 6IA@CE =@DD6D :? E96 H66<D 29625[ 2D AC@5F46CD 7246 8C@H:?8 5:77:4F=EJ >@G:?8 4CF56 @FE @7 E96 vF=7]Qk^Am

kAm$E:==[ @:= AC:46D 76==[ H:E9 (6DE %6I2D x?E6C>65:2E6 =@D:?8 >@C6 E92? @?6 A6C46?E E@ D:E 2C@F?5 Shd[ H9:=6 qC6?E 5:AA65 _]g A6C46?E[ E9@F89 :E H2D DE:== 9@=5:?8 23@G6 S`_a]k^Am

kAmp?5 DE@4<D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 567J 8C2G:EJ 7@==@H:?8 82:?D @? (2== $EC66E E92E H6C6 96=A65 3J E649 8:2?ED :?4=F5:?8 pAA=6 2?5 p>2K@?]k^Am

kAm$6@F= ;F>A65 >@C6 E92? E9C66 A6C46?E E92?<D E@ 2 DFC86 :? 49:A 8:2?ED $2>DF?8 2?5 $z 9J?:I] %96 z@DA:[ 9@H6G6C[ :D DE:== H6== 5@H? 7C@> E96 C64@C5 9:89D E@F4965 367@C6 E96 H2C 3C@<6 @FE]k^Am

kAm%@<J@ H2D FA >@C6 E92? EH@ A6C46?E[ H9:=6 %2:A6:[ $J5?6J[ $:?82A@C6 2?5 (6==:?8E@? 2=D@ C2==:65] w@?8 z@?8 2?5 $92?892: 5:AA65]k^Am

kAmQpD:2 :D A:4<:?8 FA E96 32E@? H:E9 2 42FE:@FD=J 4@?DECF4E:G6 E@?6]]] 2== @7 :E =62?:?8 @? E96 D:8?2= 7C@> (2== $EC66E H96C6 E96 $U2>Aj! 2?5 }2D52B 92G6 ?@H DECF?8 E@86E96C 2 D64@?5 52J @7 82:?D[ DF886DE:?8 E96 >2C<6E :D 24E:G6=J 49@@D:?8 E@ =@@< E9C@F89 E96 86@A@=:E:42= ?@:D6 C2E96C E92? AC:46 :E :? E96 7@C6[Q HC@E6 $!x pDD6E |2?286>6?EVD $E6A96? x??6D]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ u2H25 #2K2BK252 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u@C6I]4@>Qmu@C6I]4@>k^2m H2C?65 E92E EC256CD >:89E 368:? E@ C6E9:?< E96:C A@D:E:@?D E96 =@?86C E96 4@?7=:4E CF>3=6D @?]k^Am