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The conflict in West Asia and fresh trade investigations by the US have resulted in increased volatility in the global markets, the RBI bulletin said on Monday. India's foreign exchange reserves remain adequate to provide a cushion against external shocks, said an article on the state of the economy published in the bulletin. The second advance estimates of GDP for 2025-26 indicate sustained resilience of the Indian economy, it noted. "High-frequency indicators signal towards economic activity gaining momentum in February," the article said. It further said CPI headline inflation picked up in February on account of food and beverages. System liquidity has remained comfortable, and the total flow of financial resources to the commercial sector rose, with a rise in financing from both the bank and non-bank sources, it added. The central bank, however, said views expressed in the article are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Reserve Bank of India.
The US and Israeli attacks on Iran rattled world markets on Monday, with US futures initially falling more than 1 per cent and oil prices soaring, though both moderated as trading picked up. The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down about 0.8 per cent by mid-morning in Bangkok. Asian shares opened lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2 per cent, but by midday Tokyo time it was down 1.5 per cent at 57,981.54. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 1.6 per cent to 26,215.91, and the Shanghai Composite index was flat at 4,163.01. Taiwan's benchmark lost 0.6 per cent and Singapore's dropped 1.9 per cent. In Bangkok, the SET fell 2.1 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3 per cent to 9,173.50. Markets were closed in South Korea for a holiday. The price of gold, usually viewed as a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 2.4 per cent to about USD 5,371 per ounce. Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and ...
US futures and Asian shares skidded Monday, and oil prices fell more than USD 2 a barrel. In South Korea, the Kospi tumbled 4.6 per cent to 4,982.54 as worries revived over a potential bubble in the craze for artificial intelligence. Samsung Electronics gave up 3.5 per cent, while chip maker SK Hynix sank 5.6 per cent. The Kospi has been forging records for weeks as major tech companies piggybacked on the AI craze with deals with major players like chip maker Nvidia. In other dealings, the price of gold fell 1 per cent, while silver gained more than 2 per cent after both plunged on Friday, marking a halt to record runs in precious metals markets. Markets appeared jittery as investors studied what President Donald Trump's new nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, will mean for interest rates. The future for the S&P 500 sank 0.9 per cent while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5 per cent. US benchmark crude lost USD 2.80 to USD 62.41 per barrel. Speaking .