**Global Stock Markets Decline Amid Rising Oil Prices and Iran Conflict**
On Monday, U.S. stock indexes suffered significant losses, with the S&P 500 down 1.82%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 2.07%, and the Nasdaq 100 down 1.78%. March E-mini S&P futures fell 1.84%, marking a 2.5-month low for the S&P 500 and a 2.75-month low for the Dow. These declines come as crude oil prices soared over 7% to an 8.5-month high, driven by escalating tensions in Iran, with Goldman Sachs estimating a $18 per barrel risk premium if tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz halts for six weeks.
Market volatility extended globally, as the Euro Stoxx 50 fell 3.86% to hit a 2-month low, while China’s Shanghai Composite dipped 1.43% from a 10.5-year high. European natural gas prices surged 33% following the closure of Qatar’s Ras Laffan plant, which supplies 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas, after it was targeted by an Iranian drone attack. Additionally, U.S. bond yields rose, with the 10-year T-note yield climbing to a 2-week high of 4.12%, further impacting investor sentiment.
