A recession mindset took hold among global investors after strikes on energy infrastructure in the Middle East heightened fears that disruption to production and distribution would keep oil prices elevated for longer, darkening the global economic outlook. Crude prices staged a comeback on Thursday after Iran attacked a liquefied petroleum gas site in Qatar in…
Middle East banks and wealthy investors are poised to increase their investments in Hong Kong amid geopolitical tensions to diversify their risk and capture growing opportunities in Asia, according to the head of InvestHK, the government agency tasked with attracting foreign investment. A couple of Middle East banks were in the process of setting up…
Hong Kong’s monetary authority kept its base rate unchanged after a similar move by the US Federal Reserve, as analysts said that the Middle East conflict has added to the uncertainty over the pace of rate cuts this year. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) maintained the city’s base rate at 4 per cent on…
Cosco Shipping Ports, a unit of state-owned giant Cosco Shipping, reported modest earnings growth for 2025, as management expects to expand in emerging markets amid rising geopolitical risks to global trade. Net profit rose 1.1 per cent to US$312.1 million, and revenue increased 11 per cent to US$1.67 billion, according to its 2025 results. Total…
The prospect of a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump has become a focal point for investors seeking some reassurance on growth and stability as the conflict in the Middle East dampens appetite for risk. Investors are awaiting clarity on the summit, viewing it as a potential sign of cooperation that…
South Korea and Japan have led declines in global stock markets amid the oil shock, underscoring how supply disruptions in the Middle East are weighing on growth in economies heavily reliant on fuel imports. The Kospi index in Seoul has slumped 12 per cent since the US-Israel war with Iran broke out on February 28,…
The war in Iran, culminating in the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has again exposed the world’s energy and maritime sector to acute vulnerabilities. The spike in oil prices and surging freight rates may grab headlines, but beneath these shocks lie fundamental questions about Asia’s – and Hong Kong’s – energy security,…
During the United States-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran has said the Strait of Hormuz is open to all except the US and its allies. One-fifth of the world’s oil shipments transit through the strait. On March 2, Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the…
Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 14:35 IST Trump has also called on nations, including China, to send warships to escort vessels in Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz has been virtually shut due to the West Asia conflict. (Representational image: AFP) Hours after US President Donald Trump urged countries including China to help the United…
The war between the US, Israel and Iran is intensifying as the days go by. On Sunday, Iran launched one of its most threatening weapons on the ground – the Sejjil missile. This is the first time that Iran has used this advanced missile since the war started on February 28. Iran uses Sejjil ballistic…