Equities mostly drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dipsA currency dealer monitors exchange rates in a foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on March 5, 2026. "It is too soon to suggest that stocks have bottomed," wrote IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp. "Unless the war ends soon -- and if anything a more intense conflict seems more likely -- markets will struggle. While Iran has not officially shut off the Strait of Hormuz, shipping through the waterway has all but dried up. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waiver was issued "to enable oil to keep flowing into the global market."

Source: Philippine Star March 06, 2026 03:10 UTC