Monday 18th May 2026: Asia Markets Fall as Trump’s Iran Warning Sparks Oil Supply Fears

Global Markets:

•  Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 0.77%, Shanghai Composite down 0.22% Hang Seng down 1.39% ASX down 1.38%
• Commodities : Gold at $4,540.37 (-0.49%) Silver at $75.603 (-2.50%), Brent Oil at $111.31 (1.89%), WTI Oil at $103.29 (2.25%)
• Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.628, UK 10-year yield at 5.1830, Germany 10-year yield at 3.1535

News & Data:

• (CAD) Manufacturing Sales m/m  3.0%  to 3.5%   expected

Markets Update:

Asia-Pacific markets declined Monday after renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rattled investors. U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to “get moving, FAST,” fueling concerns about a deeper conflict and possible disruptions to global oil supplies.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran and warned there “won’t be anything left” if swift action was not taken. He did not clarify what measures he expected from Tehran or what consequences might follow.

Oil prices jumped more than 1% amid fears of supply disruptions. Brent crude futures rose 1.9% to $111.34 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 2.17% to $107.71.

Regional markets reacted negatively. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.32%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.92%, and the Topix fell 0.77%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 1.49%, while Taiwan’s Taiex declined 1.02%. South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.15%, though the Kosdaq fell 1.65%.

Investors also monitored rising bond yields and inflation concerns. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield jumped above 2.79%.

Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures were mostly flat after Wall Street ended lower Friday, pressured by rising Treasury yields and weakness in technology shares, including Nvidia, Intel, AMD, and Micron.

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The post Monday 18th May 2026: Asia Markets Fall as Trump’s Iran Warning Sparks Oil Supply Fears first appeared on IC Your Trading Edge | Official Blog.