Los mercados europeos y estadounidenses bajo presión: la inflación, los tipos de interés y el conflicto del Oriente Próximo afectan a las acciones

The Swiss SMI is expected to open marginally down by 0.1 percent after it fell 1.8 percent the day before. Asian stock markets are weighed down by fears of escalating Middle East tensions and the related rise in oil prices. The Japanese Nikkei 225 lost 0.8 percent, while the Topix index declined 0.3 percent. In China, investors remained on the sidelines, with a 0.1 percent decline in Shanghai and 0.2 percent in the SHSSE composite index. Geopolitical tensions, especially Iran’s attack on ships near the Strait of Hormuz and the US sinking of Iranian oil tankers, exacerbated uncertainty. Furthermore, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) signalled expectations for an accelerated interest rate hike, which further weighed on oil prices and interest rate expectations. While banks and oil companies benefited from higher interest rates, companies such as Nintendo (–5.8 percent) and cable manufacturers Fujikura and Furukawa Electric struggled under market conditions. In China, UBS withdrew its fund distribution unit in Shenzhen at the end of September, as it was unable to hold its ground in a highly-competitive market. At the same time, nervousness was reflected in US inflation data and the Fed’s monetary policy decisions. Oil prices are supported by concerns about global supply shortages stemming from the escalating Middle East conflict, with the Brent price at USD 101.03 per barrel and the WTI price at USD 96.22. US stock markets also showed weakness: The Dow Jones declined by 0.77 percent, reaching its lowest level since the end of July, while the S&P 500 fell by just under one percent. The Nasdaq 100 remained less affected with a slight minus of 0.29 percent, driven by positive developments at Meta, which unveiled its own AI assistant. However, only chip and storage companies like Marvell Technology (+1.5 percent) or AMD (+4.3 percent) benefited. Oil companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil rose by up to 2.2 percent as the Brent price surpassed USD 100 per barrel for the first time since July. Among the secondary stocks, petrol station chains like Casey’s (–14 percent) and software companies like ServiceTitan (–30 percent) suffered heavy losses, with the latter issuing a disappointing quarterly forecast. Market participants positioned themselves cautiously ahead of upcoming decisions by the ECB, US inflation data and quarterly reports from tech corporations like Oracle and Adobe.