European oil prices surged on Friday, as the war in Iran threatened to upend energy markets for a prolonged period. European shares meanwhile fell across the Continent, with the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index falling 1.4 per cent. Sharp swings across asset classes have unsettled traders struggling to price risk as headlines from the US-Israeli offensive against Iran ricochet through markets. The benchmark Kospi Index — a poster child for AI investments — fell 1.1 per cent on Friday, the second-best-performing market in the world this year. “The stronger the better given the increase in inflation expectations due to energy prices,” the JPMorgan Market Intelligence desk led by Andrew Tyler said.

Source: The Irish Times March 06, 2026 15:33 UTC