Global Stocks Fall as Vessel Attacks Lift Oil: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — Stocks retreated across the world as oil prices kept rising amid widening disruptions to crude transport operations in the Middle East. A gauge of global bonds erased its 2026 advance.

S&P 500 futures fell 0.4% while European stocks dropped 0.5%. An index of Asian shares was 1.2% lower. Brent briefly jumped back above $100 a barrel as Iraq suspended oil terminal activity following an attack on two tankers. Oman temporarily evacuated its key export hub.

Oil is surging as concerns deepen that the war in the Middle East could disrupt energy markets for a prolonged period, with efforts to cushion the impact so far offering little relief. The commodity is driving moves across broader markets, as traders worry that energy prices will rekindle inflation and weigh on economic growth.

“What your are seeing is the market pricing a long-lasting scenario of high oil prices,” said Karen Georges, an equity fund manager at Ecofi in Paris. “The security of shipping in the region is a big concern while the release of emergency oil reserves can only provide temporary relief.”

The dollar remained the haven of choice, rising 0.2%. Gold was little changed. European bond yields tracked their Asian counterparts higher. US Treasuries were little changed, with the 10-year rate at 4.22%.

Mounting strain in the private credit market also weighed on sentiment as Morgan Stanley and Cliffwater LLC capped withdrawals from their multibillion-dollar private credit funds. The industry has been hit by a wave of redemption requests amid growing worries over the quality of loans.

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.5% as of 8:35 a.m. London time S&P 500 futures fell 0.4% Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.5% Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 1.2% The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 1.1% Currencies

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.2% The euro fell 0.2% to $1.1549 The Japanese yen was little changed at 158.85 per dollar The offshore yuan was little changed at 6.8763 per dollar The British pound fell 0.2% to $1.3382 Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin fell 1.1% to $69,848.48 Ether fell 1.1% to $2,046.33 Bonds

The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 4.22% Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at 2.94% Britain’s 10-year yield advanced four basis points to 4.72% Commodities

Brent crude rose 6.2% to $97.65 a barrel Spot gold was little changed This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P.