Shares dither, oil spikes as investors mull Iran risks

Kuwait Times

4 days ago

LONDON: World shares slipped on Monday and oil prices rose towards five-month highs before retracing gains as investors awaited possible retaliation from Iran following US attacks on its nuclear sites, with knock-on risks to global trade and inflation. Equities remained restrained, with the dollar getting a modest safe-haven bid and no sign of a rush to bonds.
Oil prices whipsawed, rising to their highest since January during Asia trading, then falling back to flat, and were last up over 1 percent. US futures pointed towards a muted open on Wall Street. S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.1 percent while Nasdaq futures steadied. 'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, maybe you don't understand the situation,' said Paul Jackson Invesco's global head of asset allocation research.
'Whether a lack of market reaction is naiveté, or a proper assessment of the situation, time will tell,' he said. European shares fell after midday with the pan-European STOXX 600 index down over 0.3 percent. Some market participants hoped Iran might back down, with its nuclear ambitions curtailed, or even that regime change might bring a less hostile government to power there. 'That said, any sign of Iranian retaliation or threat to the Strait of Hormuz could quickly shift sentiment and force markets to reprice geopolitical risk more aggressively,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo.
The Strait of Hormuz is only about 33 km wide at its narrowest point and around a quarter of global oil trade and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas supplies pass through it. Analysts at JPMorgan cautioned that past episodes of regime change in the region typically resulted in oil prices spiking by as much as 76 percent and averaging a 30 percent rise over time. Goldman Sachs warned prices could temporarily touch $110 a barrel should the critical waterway be closed for a month. For now, Brent and US crude were both up over 82 cents to $77.83 and 85 cents to $74.68 a barrel, respectively. Gold also rose 0.4 percent to $3,381 an ounce.
Resilience
World share markets, especially in Asia, struggled. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.9 percent, dragged down by shares in Taiwan which closed 1.42 percent lower, while Chinese blue chips closed higher 0.3 percent and Japan's Nikkei eased 0.1 percent. Japan's manufacturing activity data on Monday showed a return to growth in June after nearly a year of contraction, but demand conditions remain.
The main buyers of Iranian oil are Chinese private refiners, some of whom have recently been placed on the US Treasury sanctions list. There is little evidence, however, that this has impacted flows from Iran to China significantly. The dollar firmed 1.25 percent against the yen and was last at 147.885, at its highest since May 15, while the euro dipped 0.5 percent to $1.1466. The dollar index firmed marginally to 99.299. There was also no sign of a rush to the traditional safety of Treasuries, with 10-year yields rising about 2 basis points to 4.389 percent.
Markets are still pricing only a slim chance the Fed will cut rates at its next meeting on July 30, even after Fed Governor Christopher Waller broke ranks and argued for a July easing. Most other Fed members, including Chair Jerome Powell, have been more cautious on policy, leading markets to wager a cut is far more likely in September. At least 15 Fed officials are speaking this week, and Powell faces two days of questions from lawmakers, which will likely cover US tariffs and the attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Among the economic data due are figures on US core inflation and weekly jobless claims, along with early readings on June factory activity from across the globe. — Reuters