Asian Markets Tumble Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

Asian stocks dropped on Wednesday, following Wall Street's sell-off due to Iran's missile strike on Israel, raising concerns of a larger conflict. Consequently, crude oil prices rose, and investors turned to safer assets like U.S. Treasury bonds and gold. Meanwhile, macroeconomic factors strengthened the U.S. dollar.

Asian stocks plummeted on Wednesday, mirroring the sharp sell-off on Wall Street after Iran's missile attack on Israel, which stoked fears of a broader regional conflict. In response, crude oil prices surged due to potential supply disruptions, while investors sought refuge in safe-haven assets, causing U.S. Treasury bond yields to decline in Asian trading hours and gold to hover near an all-time high.

The dollar, considered a safe-haven currency, traded near its strongest level in three weeks against the euro, buoyed by a resilient U.S. job market. This strength posed a counter-argument to the expectations of a significant Federal Reserve interest-rate cut in November. Meanwhile, euro zone inflation trends pointed towards an easing by the European Central Bank this month. Japan's Nikkei slumped 1.5%, South Korea's KOSPI fell 1.3%, and Australia's benchmark index lost 0.3%.

In the context of heightened geopolitical tensions, Brent crude futures climbed over 1% to $74.33 per barrel, following a 2.5% rise on Tuesday, while U.S. WTI futures increased by 1.3% to $70.73 per barrel. Additionally, benchmark 10-year Treasury yields dropped 1.5 basis points to 3.7278%, and the dollar index held steady at 101.21. U.S. politics will see Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance face off in a vice-presidential debate, an event also watched closely ahead of upcoming U.S. payroll data.

(With inputs from agencies.)