ECONPLEX Blog

An employee of foreign exchange trader Gaitame.com watches monitors displaying the yen exchange rate in a dealing room in Tokyo on April 2. Photo: Reuters via Nikkei Asia Asian markets that remained open on Friday, April 3, staged a solid rebound as diplomatic momentum around reopening the Strait of Hormuz gave investors reason to buy … Read more

U.S. stocks finished slightly mixed on Thursday, April 2, as diplomatic signals from the Middle East helped calm markets that had been rattled by President Trump’s threats of intensified military action against Iran. Oil prices exploded higher, with the front-month WTI crude contract posting its biggest-ever premium over the second month. European bourses mostly declined, … Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump arriving at the Kennedy Center on March 31, 2026. Photo: Getty Images via SCMP Asian markets reversed sharply on Thursday, April 2, erasing early gains that had built on Wednesday’s ceasefire optimism after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a hawkish national address in which he vowed to “hit” Iran “extremely hard” … Read more

Traders on the floor of the NYSE on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images via CNBC Wall Street closed Wednesday’s regular session with solid gains — led by a red-hot semiconductor rally — but the mood soured dramatically in after-hours trading after President Trump delivered a hawkish address on Iran, … Read more

Asian equities erupted in a powerful relief rally on Wednesday, April 1, as growing optimism that the month-long U.S.–Israel war against Iran may be nearing an end triggered aggressive buying across the region. South Korea’s KOSPI soared 8.44% — its biggest single-day gain in years — while Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 5.31%, buoyed by both … Read more

Wall Street exploded higher on Tuesday, March 31, closing out a brutal first quarter with its best single-day performance since May 2025. The rally was fueled by growing speculation that the Iran war — now in its fifth week — could be approaching an end. European markets also eked out modest gains, though the Stoxx … Read more

KOSPI Plunges 4.3% in Worst Rout of 2026 as Iran War Hammers Asia; Foreign Selling Hits Record, Won at 17-Year Low (March 31, 2026) Asian markets endured another brutal session on Tuesday as the Iran war’s economic fallout deepened. South Korea’s KOSPI crashed 4.26% — its worst single-day decline of the year — driven by … Read more

S&P 500 Falls for Third Straight Session as Tech Flashes Death Cross; Powell Quashes Rate Hike Fears, Oil Tops $102 (March 30, 2026) Wall Street delivered a mixed Monday session as the S&P 500 slipped 0.39% for a third consecutive losing day, while the Dow eked out a 49-point gain — its first positive session … Read more

Asian Markets Reel as Iran Ground War Fears Spike Oil Past $116; Nikkei Enters Correction, KOSPI Plunges 3% (March 30, 2026) Asian equities suffered a brutal Monday selloff on March 30 as weekend military escalation in the Middle East — including Houthi rebel attacks directly on Israel, intensified Israeli strikes on Tehran, and reports of … Read more