South Korea’s stock market faced a sharp decline on Monday, leading the way for a downturn across the region as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East stretched into its fifth week. The benchmark Kospi plummeted by over 5%, while the smaller-cap Kosdaq fell by 3.97%. Japanese markets followed suit, with the Nikkei 225 dropping 3.97% and the Topix losing 3.9%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also dipped, closing down 1.46%. In Hong Kong, futures for the Hang Seng index indicated a decline, standing at 24,630-falling below its last close of 24,951.88.
The unrest has escalated further as Yemen’s Houthi movement confirmed the launch of missiles aimed at Israel, marking their first direct engagement in the conflict involving U.S. and Israeli forces against Iranian interests. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that the group targeted key Israeli military sites, signaling an increase in hostilities and aligning closely with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. This strike follows U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian positions that commenced on February 28 and highlights the conflict’s growing complexity.
In early Asian trading hours, oil prices rose significantly, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbing 2.58% to reach $102.19 per barrel-reflecting the impact of geopolitical tensions on energy markets.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures forecasted further losses ahead of the market opening. Contracts linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 253 points, or 0.6%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures both fell by 0.5%. Last Friday, the Dow entered correction territory with a notable decline of 793.47 points, or 1.73%, closing at 45,166.64. The S&P 500 also lost 1.67%, ending the session at a seven-month low of 6,368.85, while the Nasdaq Composite decreased by 2.15%, settling at 20,948.36. Over the past week, the broad market index has recorded its fifth consecutive decline, shedding 2.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq suffered a 3.2% drop.
As global markets remain volatile in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions, traders and investors are closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, which have far-reaching implications for regional and global stability.
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Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/30/asia-pacific-markets-nikkei-225-kospi-hang-seng-index-oil.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-30 05:38:00
