Shares skid in Asia as oil rises, rate hikes loom

Asian share markets declined on Monday (Sep 14) due to escalating oil prices and the possibility of interest rate hikes in the United States and Japan. Brent crude oil prices surged by 3%, following attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and threats from Yemen's Houthis. A meeting in Oman to discuss opening the Strait of Hormuz was postponed due to concerns over shipping in the region.

Analysts fear that oil prices could remain high for an extended period, contributing to global inflation. In the United States, the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, possibly marking the start of a more sustained hiking cycle. JPMorgan's chief US economist, Michael Feroli, indicated that the Fed may hike rates twice this year, in September and December.

Markets anticipate a 76% chance of the Bank of Japan raising its cash rate by 0.25 percentage points during a meeting on Friday. US crude oil prices increased by 2.4%, while Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's Kospi indices fell by 1.7% and 3.3%, respectively. Global stock markets, including MSCI's Asia-Pacific index and European indices like the DAX and FTSE, also experienced declines.

Despite the negative sentiment, Goldman Sachs' chief US equity strategist, Ben Snider, anticipates that strong corporate earnings may support Wall Street despite rising borrowing costs, as equities often underperform during the initial stages of rate hikes but rebound in the subsequent year.