Asian stock markets are trading mostly lower on Monday, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street on Friday, as traders remain cautious and concerned about the escalating war in the Middle East and its impact on energy prices, inflation, economic growth and monetary policy. The prevailing uncertainty about the timeline for ending the war is weighing on overall market sentiment. Asian markets closed mostly lower on Friday.
Over the weekend, the U.S. struck military targets near Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub, and warned it could expand attacks on energy infrastructure if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.
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Market Analysis
June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.