Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 12, 2026, 10:33 PM ET
Global Markets Overview
Global markets reacted to the escalating conflict bloomberg.com in the Middle East, with analysts forecasting longer-lasting upheaval and higher crude prices, as Brent crude settled above $100 bloomberg.com a barrel for the first time since August 2022. State Street reported that institutional investors increased their purchases of US dollars bloomberg.com, seeking safe-haven assets. The war’s impact is already being felt in corporate strategy ft.com, as supply chain disruptions have created a “Covid moment” for businesses, according to the CEO of State Street ft.com. Investors are also demanding steep concessions ft.com in bond deals, as seen in Salesforce’s $25 billion bond deal ft.com, reflecting Wall Street’s jitters over AI disruption.
Energy Sector and Commodities
Oil prices edged lower wsj.com in Asia, possibly due to a technical correction, while Asian currencies consolidated against the dollar wsj.com amid oil price monitoring. As a result of the war, the US residential heating oil prices surged above $5 a gallon bloomberg.com, the highest since November 2022. Energy markets are bracing for lasting turmoil, with disruptions in the Gulf choking sulphur flows ft.com, impacting sectors from fertilizer to microchips. The Middle East conflict cut supply bloomberg.com of liquefied natural gas, prompting a global hunt and shifting supply flows. The impact of the conflict is also evident, as Brazil cut fuel tax bloomberg.com to offset surging oil prices. Furthermore, the war has pushed the decades-long relationship between crude oil and emerging-market currencies into reverse, with their correlation turning the most negative bloomberg.com in at least a decade.
Geopolitical and Economic Impacts
The war in the Middle East darkens the outlook ft.com for UK house prices, with rising energy prices influencing expectations for interest rate cuts. The conflict threatens global supplies bloomberg.com of nitrogen-based crop nutrients, impacting companies such as CF Industries Holdings Inc. The escalating conflict is also delivering another blow nytimes.com to the world economy, compounding existing challenges. China’s consumer spending may have booked the worst start bloomberg.com to any year outside the pandemic, highlighting the government's challenges. The Federal Reserve and other financial regulators are proposing to ease some capital requirements nytimes.com for banks. The war has also led to Japan preparing to release ft.com oil reserves.
Corporate and Financial News
Brookfield Asset Management bloomberg.com is seeking an $800 million loan for the proposed purchase of air cargo specialist World Freight Co. Qantas wsj.com will pay around $74 million to settle a class action over Covid-era flight credits. SpaceX bloomberg.com may see its S&P 500 entry fast-tracked, as S&P Dow Jones Indices consider rule changes. AeroVironment wsj.com cut its guidance, attributing the change to government shutdown-delayed orders in the third quarter. First Brands Group bloomberg.com agreed to sell one of its remaining operating businesses, while BuzzFeed wsj.com issued a going concern warning, citing a lack of liquidity. Amazon nytimes.com is adding a tool to help public figures report fake videos. Nintendo shares bloomberg.com soared as the new Pokémon game lifted mood. Carlyle Group bloomberg.com is turning to a unique solution to address longer sell-off times. Partners Group ft.com sounds alarm on private credit default rates.
China and Asia Markets
Global money ended the Taiwan stock exodus bloomberg.com with a billion-dollar inflow. A top-performing emerging markets fund is increasing its exposure bloomberg.com to major Chinese artificial intelligence hyperscalers. Saudi Arabian miner bloomberg.com surged in its debut, defying the ongoing conflict. The People’s Bank of China is employing volatile yuan fixing bloomberg.com to manage the war's fallout. Workers at Glencore’s Australian copper refinery bloomberg.com have threatened to strike. Disruptions in the aluminum trade have pushed Japanese auto-parts manufacturers into talks with Russian giant United Co. Rusal bloomberg.com. India’s Modi calls for lesser dependence bloomberg.com on imported energy.
Interest Rates and Currency Markets
Bond traders are pricing in bigger deficits bloomberg.com around the world. Peru held the key rate unchanged bloomberg.com as inflation pressures mounted. The US role as crude producer bolsters the greenback, while China is more insulated from oil surge than expected bloomberg.com. The Chinese central bank is signaling an increased tolerance for yuan flexibility bloomberg.com.
Legal and Regulatory Developments
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued new guidance bloomberg.com for prediction markets. The Federal Reserve and other financial regulators will soon release proposals to loosen some planned rules nytimes.com on how much capital banks must hold in reserve.
Political and Social Commentary
President Trump is tempering political ambitions nytimes.com in Venezuela. Florida Republicans passed a bill nytimes.com requiring proof of citizenship to vote. The Trump administration is expected to begin a trade investigation into whether dozens of countries have policies to combat forced labor nytimes.com.
Other Notable News
Meta nytimes.com delayed the rollout of a new AI model. Ukraine nytimes.com will make drone videos available for AI model training. The jewelry industry is taking a wild ride nytimes.com as gold and silver prices soar.