A selloff in stocks deepened on Tuesday and the dollar strengthened as investors considered the implications of US and Israeli strikes on Iran on ‌energy prices and the global economy. Asian stocks extended losses into a second day as mounting conflict in the Middle East intensified risk-off sentiment among investors. The Korean benchmark Kospi sank as much as 6.9 per cent, the most since August 2024, as the market reopened after a holiday. Chip heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dragged the gauge lower, dropping nearly 10 per cent each. Still, Korea’s Kospi and Taiwan’s Taiex Index are up 42 per cent and 20 per cent respectively this year, among the best-performing gauges globally.

Source: The Irish Times March 03, 2026 08:21 UTC