Highlights Dollar climbs as stocks tumble on Iran war IEA's Birol warns crisis worse than 1970s oil shocks Japan says ready to counter forex volatility The dollar rose on Monday as escalating retaliatory threats in the West Asia conflict sent stocks tumbling and lifted demand for safe-haven assets.Hopes for an off-ramp to hostilities dimmed over the weekend, with US President Donald Trump threatening to strike Iran’s electricity grid and Tehran vowing to hit back at its neighbours’ infrastructure.The he ...

Geopolitical Developments - The Middle East conflict has escalated, with missile alerts in Dubai and explosions over Tel Aviv, leading to increased oil prices and disruptions in regional aviation [2][3][9] - Analysts warn that a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could push oil prices towards $100 per barrel [3] Central Bank Policies - The European Central Bank (ECB) is under pressure, with money markets pricing in an 80% chance of a rate hike by December 2026 due to inflation risks [4][9] - In Asia, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) is speculated to have a 50% chance of a benchmark rate hike next month, while the People's Bank of China (PBOC) plans to support the economy through interest rate and RRR cuts [5] Corporate Movements - Zealand Pharma (ZEAL) experienced a 32% drop in market value following disappointing clinical data for its obesity drug, impacting the broader European biotech sector [6][9] - Ford Motor Company (F) is recalling 889,950 vehicles in the U.S. due to safety defects as reported by the NHTSA [7][9] - Atos (ATO) and ITV (ITV) saw gains of 6.4% and 5.7% respectively, while Lufthansa (LHA) rose by 3.0% on news of flight resumptions [6]