Gulf states explore new pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The Financial Times reported countries revisiting costly East-West pipeline plans mirroring Saudi Arabia's existing route. The conflict entered day 19 forcing infrastructure rethinking.
Brent crude posted its biggest monthly gain since 1988 surging 60% in March. US oil prices jumped 11% after Trump's Iran war speech stoked escalation fears. Prediction markets showed surging $120 oil bets as physical supply chaos persisted.
Global energy rationing spread from Bangladesh to Zambia. Governments imposed fuel demand cuts as Middle East flows stayed disrupted. World's top energy traders got wrongfooted early in the crisis per FT reporting. Oil traders normally thriving on volatility were caught by the scale of disruption.
Asia markets mostly rose in Easter trade on hopes for Hormuz reopening. South Korea's Kospi led the rebound after Trump indicated the war could end in weeks. The dollar dropped on reports of US willingness to end the Iran campaign.
Chinese government bonds emerged as the lone war haven. Yields on China's debt fell marginally since conflict started while other major economies saw yields rise. India's central bank made it harder to short the rupee blocking non-deliverable derivatives in the onshore market.
European stocks closed higher despite intensifying conflict and souring economic sentiment. UK banks faced regulatory scrutiny as capital rules became a drag on growth. The FT opinion section pushed for euro adoption reducing dollar dependency.
Gold dropped on a stronger dollar and rising rate-cut fade bets. The metal posted its worst month in 17 years as US interest rate pivot hopes evaporated.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
