Markets on edge
Oil has climbed above $100/barrel as geopolitical tensions heat up — and the S&P 500 is down roughly 3% over the past two weeks with the VIX nearing 30, driving a third straight weekly loss for equities []. Investors are even shunning U.S. debt while India’s Nifty slid about 1.5% with midcaps and smallcaps falling more than 2% — stagflation worries are back on desks [] [].
Brent futures rose to $103.14 per barrel while U.S. crude traded near $98.71, reflecting a fresh supply squeeze in the Gulf. cnbc.com Attacks on shipping and what analysts describe as an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz linked to the Iran conflict were cited as the immediate supply drivers, and a U.S. emergency release failed to fully calm prices. aljazeera.com The S&P 500 closed at 6,632.19 on Mar. 13, down from 6,878.88 on Feb. 27 — a decline of roughly 3.6% over those two weeks. fred.stlouisfed.org The Cboe VIX was trading around 27.2 on Mar. 13, indicating elevated option-implied volatility even though it remained below its 52-week high. cboe.com Ten-year Treasury yields climbed above 4.2% (about 4.261% on Mar. 11) while the two‑year neared 3.73%, as market participants sold some Treasuries instead of using them as a safe haven amid the conflict. cnbc.com In India, the Nifty 50 closed at 23,151.10 on Mar. 13, down about 2.06% that day, while Nifty MidCap and SmallCap indices each fell roughly 2.5%, stripping approximately ₹3.6 lakh crore from market capitalization. business-standard.com February’s CPI showed headline inflation rising 0.3% month‑on‑month and 2.4% year‑on‑year, data flagged on Mar. 11 that traders say compounds the “higher‑for‑longer” rate fear as oil pushes costs up. markets.financialcontent.com
