Wall Street Journal (March 19)
“Escalating attacks on Persian Gulf oil-and-gas infrastructure are sending the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran into a dangerous new phase that threatens to worsen the crisis over global energy supplies…. Israel and Iran had already hit energy facilities throughout the nearly three-week-old war, but Wednesday’s attacks struck some of the world’s most important hubs and raised the prospect of tit-for-tat volleys against oil-and-gas facilities.”
Tags: Attacks, Crisis, Dangerous, Escalating, Facilities, Gas, Global energy, Hubs, Infrastructure, Iran, Israeli, New phase, Oil, Persian Gulf, Threatens, Tit-for-tat, U.S., War, Worsen
The Week (March 18)
“In the immediate aftermath of Poland’s Communist collapse, the country was considered one of the most economically dire in Europe — but the status quo has changed in a major way. Poland now has the 20th largest economy in the world.” In 2025, GDP growth of 3.65% and economic output in excess of $1 trillion vaulted the nation over Switzerland and into the top 20.
Tags: $1 trillion, 2025, 20th, 3.65%, Aftermath, Communist collapse, Dire, Economy, Europe, GDP, Growth, Leapfrog, Output, Poland, Switzerland
Auto Wire (March 17)
”For decades Porsche has been one of the most profitable car companies on the planet. That reputation just took a staggering hit” as it “reported operating profit of just €90 million for 2025 — a jaw-dropping collapse from €5.3 billion the previous year.” The 98% drop “immediately rattled investors and sent the company’s stock sliding…. Behind that collapse is a combination of strategic missteps, geopolitical pressures, and brutal new competition reshaping the global car market.”
Tags: €5.3b, €90m, 2025, Brutal, Car companies, Collapse, Competition, Geopolitical pressures, Investors, Jaw-dropping, Operating profit, Porsche, Profitable, Rattled, Reputation, Sliding, Staggering, Stock, Strategic missteps
The Guardian (March 17)
“Britons taking out a new home loan face paying almost £800 a year more on average than before the Iran war as “Trumpflation” pushes up UK mortgage rates.” Higher rates come at a bad time, as “1.8m fixed-rate deals are due to end in 2026, and most of these borrowers will need to get a new mortgage. The change of direction comes amid the global shock waves caused by the war.”
Tags: £800, Borrowers, Britons, Fixed-rate deals, Global, Home loan, Iran war, Mortgage rates, Shock waves, Trumpflation, UK, War
Bloomberg (March 16)
“Global oil markets face another week of turmoil after a US attack on Iran’s main export hub heightened risks to supply across the Middle East, and deepened concerns over a conflict that’s already upended energy flows.”
Tags: Attack, Concerns, Conflict, Deepened, Export hub, Global, Iran, Markets, Middle East, Oil, Risks, Supply, Turmoil, U.S., Upended
New York Times (March 15)
“Two weeks into a war against Iran that he chose to launch, President Trump faces a stark choice — stay in the battle to achieve the dauntingly ambitious goals he has set, or try to extract himself from an expanding and intensifying conflict that is generating damaging military, diplomatic and economic shock waves.”
Tags: Ambitious, Battle, Conflict, Damaging, Daunting, Diplomatic, Economic, Expanding, Extract, Goals, Intensifying, Iran, Launch, Military, Stark choice, Trump, War
MarketWatch (March 13)
“America’s “goldilocks” economy is over. The next seven days of the Iran conflict will set the stage for stagflation or global recession.” The U.S. was nearing perfection with unemployment at 4.4% and inflation down to 2.4%. Instead of basking in economic triumph, the U.S. now frets over a potential “doubling of the oil price,” which historically “coincides with a global recession. In today’s terms, that is $120-$140 a barrel. Brent crude brushed the bottom of that range earlier this week.”
Tags: $120-$140 bbl, Brent crude, Conflict, Doubling, Economy, Global recession, Goldilocks, Inflation, Iran, Oil price, Stagflation, U.S., Unemployment
Barron’s (March 12)
“Wall Street is becoming increasingly worried” with the escalating war in Iran. Investors fear the war “could lead to a stagflationary environment where the Federal Reserve can’t step in to boost the economy due to stubborn price growth. Odds of no rate cut in 2026 surged to 46.1% on Thursday.” The odds had stood at just 5.1% a month ago.
Tags: 2026, 46.1%, Economy, Escalating, Fear, Fed, Investors, Iran, Odds, Price growth, Rate cut, Stagflationary, Wall Street, War, Worried
Wall Street Journal (March 12)
“Escalating Iranian attacks and the U.S. government’s decision to hold off on military escorts for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz are raising the prospect of a prolonged closure that would choke off exports through the world’s most important energy-transport route.”
Tags: Attacks, Choke, Decision, Energy, Escalating, Exports, Government, Iranian, Military escorts, Oil tankers, Prolonged closure, Route, Strait of Hormuz, Transport, U.S.
Bloomberg (March 11)
“As the war in Iran sent oil prices soaring, one market holding up unexpectedly well is that of the world’s largest crude importer: China.” Decades spent trying “to insulate its economy” against major external shocks are paying off. “China’s CSI 300 barely budged, slipping just 0.1%. That means an investor who parked money in Chinese shares instead of moving out from Asia into America would have preserved more capital than in most major markets.”
Tags: Major markets
