Economy 27 February 2026 - 9 March 2026

Germany’s DAX index fell 6.7% this week to 23,591.03, its worst weekly drop in a year, as energy prices surged and U.S. jobs data disappointed. Beiersdorf and Adidas shares slumped after profit warnings, while Siemens Energy dropped 6%. Rheinmetall announced plans to expand missile production amid Middle East tensions. STOXX said there will be no changes to the DAX or TecDAX in March.

U.S. stocks rebounded Wednesday afternoon, with the S&P 500 up 0.9% and Nasdaq gaining 1.5% by 1:41 p.m. ET, led by tech shares. ADP reported 63,000 private jobs added in February, while ISM services PMI hit 56.1, its highest since July 2022. U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.475 million barrels. The Fed Beige Book is due at 2 p.m. ET.

India’s stock markets were closed Tuesday for Holi after the Nifty 50 and Sensex fell sharply Monday on surging oil prices tied to Middle East conflict. The rupee slid 0.5% to 91.47 per dollar, its weakest in a month, as the Reserve Bank of India likely intervened. Bond yields are expected to stay volatile; February services PMI data is due Wednesday. Indian firms cut gas supplies after Qatar halted LNG production.

SPI 200 futures pointed lower before the Sydney open after the ASX 200 dropped 1.34% to 9,077.30, led by a 3.1% fall in miners. Life360 and Pro Medicus plunged over 8%. Magellan Financial Group jumped 21.9% after a major acquisition. Traders awaited Australia’s quarterly GDP data due at 11:30 a.m. AEDT.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.7% Tuesday morning as oil prices surged 8% following Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude hit $83.81 a barrel, raising inflation fears and dampening expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Travel and materials stocks fell, while Target rose and MongoDB plunged 27% after weak guidance. Blackstone shares also declined on rising fund outflows.

FTSE 100 fell 1.2% and FTSE 250 lost 1.4% after oil prices surged on Iranian retaliation disrupting Strait of Hormuz shipping. Defence and energy stocks rose, but banks and travel shares dropped as traders cut bets on a Bank of England rate cut. Brent crude jumped 6%. Zurich Insurance agreed to buy Beazley for £8.1 billion.

The Sensex fell 1.84% last week to 81,287.19, with autos and financials leading declines as foreign investors sold 34.66 billion rupees of equities Thursday. India’s GDP grew 7.8% in October-December, slowing from the previous quarter, and the rupee posted its first monthly gain since April 2025. Brent crude closed at $72.48 a barrel, with Barclays warning of a possible rise if U.S.-Iran tensions escalate.