World shares advance and oil slips back despite a barrage of attacks by
Iran
[March 18, 2026] By
CHAN HO-HIM
HONG KONG (AP) — Shares advanced Wednesday in Europe and Asia as oil
prices fell back slightly despite a barrage of attacks by Iran on its
Gulf neighbors.
U.S. futures rose 0.5% after a session of moderate gains on Wall Street
ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates later in the
day. With higher oil prices feeding into other inflation, the Fed is
widely expected to keep rates on hold.
Worries over global oil and gas supplies and rising prices are still
clouding global markets, though Brent crude, the international standard,
fell slightly to $103.14 per barrel, down from above $106 on Monday.
U.S. benchmark crude fell 1.6% to $94.67 per barrel.
Iran lashed out Wednesday with multiple attacks on its Gulf neighbors
and Israel following the killing of one of its top leaders in an
airstrike, using some of its latest missiles to evade air defenses and
killing two near Tel Aviv.
But markets seem to have taken the latest escalations in stride.
Germany's DAX rose 0.7% to 23,899.71 and the CAC 40 in Paris picked up
0.9% to 8,045.19. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher to 10,427.12.
During Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 2.9% to 55,239.40 after
the government reported exports were higher than expected in February.
In South Korea, the Kospi jumped 5% to 5,925.03.
Lower oil prices are a boon for big oil importers like Japan and South
Korea.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng reversed early losses, surging 0.6% to 26,025.42,
while the Shanghai Composite index also rebounded, gaining 0.3% to
4,062.98.
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Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea
Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top right, at the foreign
exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South
Korea, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
 Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.3%
to 8,640.60.
Taiwan’s Taiex added 1.5% and India's Sensex advanced 1%.
Global oil flows remain largely constrained, ING Bank analysts
Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note on
Wednesday, even as hopes were growing that Iran might be allowing
more vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global
oil and gas transport.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes through the strait,
which has been largely closed as Iran blocks ships linked to the
U.S., Israel and their allies.
On Tuesday, U.S. stocks held steadier as the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and
the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher. The Nasdaq
composite added 0.5%.
In other dealings early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar fell to 158.96
Japanese yen from 159.01 yen. The euro fell to $1.1536 from $1.1542.
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