Forex
ASX 200 Flat Amid Oil Price Surge and Rate Hike Fears
Australian shares traded flat on Monday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index sitting at 9,006.0, up just 0.1 points.
The muted session followed a soft finish on Wall Street Friday, when strong U.S. jobs figures further ratcheted up expectations for additional Federal Reserve rate hikes.
Energy stocks offset broader caution tied to a renewed weekend escalation between the United States and Iran and persistent expectations of further Reserve Bank interest rate tightening.
Capital.com senior market analyst Kyle Rodda pointed directly to the latest flare-up in the ongoing conflict as a key factor weighing on investor sentiment heading into the new week.