Asian markets start week shaky as U.S.-Iran tensions rise
Asian markets started the week on a shaky note after clashes between the US and Iran ramped up worries.
South Korea's Kospi dropped over 1%, showing investors are pretty nervous.
On the flip side, Nasdaq-100 futures managed a small bounce (up 0.6%) as tech stocks try to recover from last week's AI spending jitters.
Japan took a break today for a public holiday.
Brent rises, semiconductors hit bear market
Brent crude jumped nearly 4% to above $91 per barrel, the highest in over a month, thanks to fears about instability in the region.
Rising energy prices have people thinking interest rates might stay high for longer.
Meanwhile, gold slipped below $4,000 an ounce, and silver and platinum also fell.
Chip stocks are feeling the pressure too: worries about whether AI investments will keep going pushed a key semiconductor benchmark into bear market territory, despite strong demand and earnings from big players.