World Shares Tumble as Crude Soars     03/09 05:04

   World shares tumbled on Monday, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index 
plunging more than 5%, after oil prices spiked at nearly $120 a barrel, casting 
a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imports of oil and gas from the 
Middle East.

   BANGKOK (AP) -- World shares tumbled on Monday, with Japan's benchmark 
Nikkei 225 index plunging more than 5%, after oil prices spiked at nearly $120 
a barrel, casting a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imports of oil 
and gas from the Middle East.

   The futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq composite index and the Dow Jones 
Industrial Average were trading more than 1% lower after dropping more than 2% 
late Sunday.

   A Chinese special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, called for an end to 
the attacks and said strikes on non-military targets and civilians should be 
condemned. Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned against 
hoarding, panic buying and collusion between refiners and gas stations.

   "Please respond proactively to the growing volatility in the financial and 
foreign exchange markets, which are the lifeblood of our economy," Lee said. He 
said the government would cap fuel prices.

   Oil prices rocketed higher after both sides in the war struck new targets 
over the weekend, including civilian ones. Bahrain accused Iran of hitting one 
of the desalination plants that are crucial for drinking water in Gulf 
countries. Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country's 
sole oil refinery was attacked. Israel struck oil depots in Tehran, sending up 
thick smoke and causing environmental alerts.

   In early European trading, Germany's DAX dropped 2.6% to 22,983.67 and the 
CAC 40 in Paris lost 2.7% to 7,779.46. Britain's FTSE 100 lost 1.9% to 
10,089.05. The only market to show gains was in oil exporter Norway, where its 
benchmark edged 0.1% higher.

   During Asian trading, Japan's Nikkei 225 plunged more than 7% early in the 
day but regained some of those losses to close 5.2% lower at 52,728.72. South 
Korea's Kospi sank 6% to 5,251.87.

   Chinese markets, which tend to be less affected by global trends, saw more 
moderate losses. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.4% to 25,408.46 and the Shanghai 
Composite index lost 0.7% to 4,096.60.

   Taiwan's benchmark dived 4.4% and India's Sensex lost 2.3%. Other regional 
markets also swooned.

   As of 0900 GMT, the price for a barrel of Brent crude was $106.61 a barrel. 
U.S. benchmark crude rose to $103.20. Both were about 15% above their closing 
prices Friday.

   Crude prices have spiked to their highest levels in at least 14 years as the 
war, now in its second week, ensnares countries and places that are critical to 
the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf. . They last 
rose above $100 shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

   "The market woke up to the sound every macro trader dreads. The oil alarm 
bell. And this time it was not a polite chime. It was a fire siren," Stephen 
Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

   Surging oil and gas prices, if they persist, could ripple across the globe, 
further complicating matters for countries still adjusting to higher tariffs on 
exports to the United States under President Donald Trump.

   Senior officials of Southeast Asian countries were meeting this week in 
Manila, the Philippines, where they were expected to discuss ways to counter 
the shock from higher energy costs.

   "Oil prices will reach a peak at some point --- maybe they already have, 
maybe there's more to come --- but they are likely to fluctuate at elevated 
levels for weeks, perhaps months," Ipek Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote said in a 
commentary. "Eventually --- even if the war persists --- energy prices will 
likely come down. But during this period, high energy prices will revive 
inflation globally and weigh notably on growth."

   On Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 1.3% after a report showed U.S. employers cut 
more jobs last month than they created and after oil prices shot above $90 per 
barrel. The combination of a weak economy and high inflation is a worst-case 
scenario for investors because the Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both 
problems at the same time.

   The Dow plunged as many as 945 points before finishing with a loss of 453, 
or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.6%.

   Early Monday, the U.S. dollar, which retains its status as a safe haven for 
investors bracing against uncertainty, gained against other major currencies. 
It was trading at 158.55 Japanese yen, up from 158.09 yen late Friday. The euro 
rose to $1.1539, up from $1.1556.