Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 3:34 AM ET
Energy & Geopolitical Markets
Oil prices continued volatility ft.com following news that the US will ease Russian oil sanctions, potentially freeing up 19 million barrels already at sea bloomberg.com, while the yen slid to a 16-month low bloomberg.com as escalating Middle East tensions pushed crude higher. Gulf oil exporters have lost $15 billion ft.com in energy revenues since the conflict began, with millions of barrels remaining trapped by shutdowns in the Strait of Hormuz, while Thailand has halted rice exports bloomberg.com to the Middle East, disrupting shipments to its largest market and straining farmers.
Regional Market Movements
The FTSE 100 remained steady bloomberg.com despite the pound falling ahead of UK GDP data, with Hong Kong expanding its "name and shame" regime bloomberg.com to include law firms and auditors in an effort to improve IPO quality. In Asia, Chinese authorities have accelerated stockpiling ft.com of strategic commodities amid the Iran conflict, though the scale of these inventories remains unclear. Meanwhile, IG Group soared nearly 90% ft.com since early 2024 as the spreadbetting giant joined the FTSE 100 under CEO Breon Corcoran's leadership.
Central Banking & Policy
Economists predict the European Central Bank will hold rates until 2028 bloomberg.com, diverging sharply from market expectations as inflation threats resurface, while the US administration's sanctions waiver ft.com signals a potential shift in energy policy toward Russia. In Malaysia, the subsidy bill will rise bloomberg.com due to higher oil prices from the Middle East conflict, though details on the increased cost burden remain undisclosed. European businesses have warned Brussels ft.com that the push for "tech sovereignty" could undermine the continent's competitiveness by hitting profits.
Consumer & Corporate Impacts
The US consumer remains resilient ft.com despite oil price pressures, though analysts warn that sustained high energy costs could eventually dampen spending. Asia's petrochemicals industry faces deeper crisis ft.com as Japan and South Korea confront shortages of key plastic components amid the Gulf oil shock, while energy companies navigate mixed outcomes ft.com with some benefiting from higher prices despite operational disruptions in conflict zones. Private jet operators report surge ft.com in charter demand as tens of thousands of travelers remain stranded in Asia due to Middle East travel disruptions.