Iran Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.When the war in Iran started nearly two months ago, countries in Asia—which receive more than 80% of the oil and liquefied natural gas delivered through the Strait of Hormuz—were among the most exposed to the energy shock.But now, a combination of deep reserves, aggressive energy conservation efforts and savvy diplomatic efforts have allowed the deepest-pocketed of them to weather the blow—at least for now.They rushed to locate energy outside the Middle East, including the U.S. and Russia, often paying top dollar on the spot markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: The West Asia war is likely to have a limited impact on India’s economy and although inflation could accelerate from the level in March, it will stay within the central bank’s tolerance range, S. Mahendra Dev, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said in an interview.The economy is likely to expand 7% this year, and the Iran war has re-emphasized the need for faster diversification of energy sources, Dev said.Atmanirbharta or self-reliance is at the centre of India’s strategy to navigate a global environment riddled with economic choke points, Dev said.Dev said the economy’s resilience in the face of headwinds generated by the West Asia war could be demonstrated by the narrowing of India’s trade deficit to $20.67 billion in March.“This shows that the impact of the war is being mitigated by a good export performance to a diversified set of markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Indians are holding on to their smartphones for a record period of nearly four years, data from three independent market researchers showed, as exchange offers and interest-free loans fail to offset soaring prices in a challenging economy.Brands have been nudging buyers towards the premium end, where the average smartphone now costs over ₹26,000, against ₹17,000 in 2021. The devices themselves have become sturdier and offer extended software upgrades, making phone purchases more discretionary and less urgent.“Our business used to thrive on enthusiasts and high net-worth individuals, who would previously upgrade their smartphones every year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 ended higher on Tuesday amid US-Iran peace talks and broad-based sectoral strength.The Sensex rose by 753 points, or 0.96%, to end at 79,273.33, while the Nifty 50 ended with a healthy gain of 212 points, or 0.87%, at 24,576.60.Amid the geopolitical developments, we are seeing some steady buying opportunities as the result season unfolds. A very strong upmove with a buy on dips can be considered in the days ahead.ADANIPORTS (Cmp ₹1594.10) Indian equities rallied for the third consecutive session on 21 April 2026, supported by optimism over US–Iran peace talks and broad-based sectoral strength. The Sensex climbed 753 points to 79,273, while the Nifty advanced 211 points to 24,576.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Equity markets staged a robust recovery on Tuesday, as benchmark indices rebounded from volatility to finish with healthy gains. The Nifty 50 index closed at 24,576.60, up 211.75 points (0.87%), while BSE Sensex mirrored this strength, surging more than 600 points to settle above 79,100. Market sentiment was bolstered by easing crude oil prices and renewed optimism surrounding potential US-Iran diplomatic talks, which helped temper regional geopolitical concerns.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Throughout the war in Iran most investors have bet that an economic catastrophe would not take place. Oil and gas prices would need to rise to the stratosphere to destroy demand for the fuel that flows through the Strait of Hormuz. That would cause recession and high inflation.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Iraqi militias backed by Iran launched dozens of explosive drones at Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states during more than five weeks of fighting, in what is becoming a shadowy war within a war pushing some of the world’s largest oil producers toward open conflict.According to at least one Saudi assessment described by a person familiar with it, up to half of the nearly 1,000 drone attacks on the kingdom came from inside Iraq. They included strikes on a Saudi refinery in the sensitive Yanbu oil hub on the Red Sea and oil fields in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, people familiar with the matter said.Drones launched from Iraq targeted Kuwait’s only civilian airport.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Wall Street and Washington will be watching Kevin Warsh on Tuesday for any sign he has an understanding with President Trump to cut interest rates if installed as chair of the Federal Reserve. Trump will be watching for any sign he doesn’t.The high-wire act starts before Warsh even has the job.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The sudden twists in West Asia peace talks underscore just how fluid the situation is. On Friday, Iran showed some keenness to engage with the US as it declared the Strait of Hormuz open, but only to slam it shut again the next day.Since then, Tehran has professed itself unready to hold truce talks with the US. Not only was America making excessive and shifting demands, it argued, its blockade of Iranian ports was a violation of the ceasefire due to expire only on 22 April.To make matters between the two adversaries worse, this week began with armed US action against an Iranian commercial vessel.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Indian equity benchmarks ended a volatile session on Monday with a positive bias. Indices had opened higher, tracking firm global cues, and briefly strengthened around midday, but gave up most gains as concerns around the US-Iran ceasefire kept sentiment cautious.Sensex closed up 26.76 points at 78,520.30, while Nifty 50 edged up 11.30 points to settle at 24,364.85.Sectoral performance was mixed.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.While the market shows some promise and trends are expected to gain momentum, current upward movement is limited. Higher price levels are meeting selling pressure, which is dampening bullish sentiment.Buy above ₹520, stop ₹490, target 575 (multiday)Buy above ₹181, stop ₹168, target ₹205 (multiday)Buy above ₹76, stop ₹71.50, target ₹85 (multiday)On 20 April, Indian equity markets witnessed a volatile session, extending gains for the second consecutive day but ultimately closing flat as global uncertainties weighed on sentiment. The Nifty opened on a mildly positive note and showed strength during the late morning trade, supported by selective buying in banking and metal counters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.THE IRAN war may end up teaching America many lessons. One that it has learned the hard way is the woeful economics of using traditional weaponry against cheap Iranian drones.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Utilities plan $1.4 trillion in capital expenditures through 2030, a 21% increase, driven by AI’s rising power demands.Global data center electricity demand is projected to double by 2030 to 945 terawatt-hours, with over 800 new centers in development.AI power infrastructure companies like GE Vernova (up 38%) and Vertiv (up 80%) have strong backlogs and high valuations.Tech is leading the market again as the war in Iran recedes and first-quarter earnings come in strong. It’s a great sign for companies supplying the industry’s insatiable thirst for power generation and infrastructure.Utilities plan to spend $1.4 trillion on capital expenditures through 2030, up 21% from estimates last year, according to the nonprofit PowerLines.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Kevin Warsh spent the past year constructing a case for the Federal Reserve to deliver the interest-rate cuts President Trump wants: An artificial-intelligence boom would soon deliver a productivity surge that would hold down prices.When Warsh appears Tuesday in front of senators for the confirmation hearing that could put him one step closer to leading the central bank, his toughest audience could be his future colleagues. They have been delicately but unmistakably signaling their pointed skepticism.If confirmed, he stands to inherit a Fed caught between a technological shift that has yet to hold prices down and a fracturing geopolitical landscape that keeps threatening to push prices up.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.On 17th April Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, declared that commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open”. Shortly afterwards Donald Trump, America’s president, echoed his words: the conduit was “completely open and ready for business”.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead a new round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan this week in a fresh effort to end the war with Tehran, but there still appear to be significant gaps between both sides as the U.S. pushes Iran to lock up its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Vance is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for talks with Iran on Tuesday—although Iran was still threatening on Sunday that it wouldn’t attend talks, saying Washington’s demands remain excessive. Pakistan helped broker a two-week cease-fire between the U.S.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A week is a long time in geopolitics. Consider the Hormuz flip in the theatre of economic warfare. Last Monday, after peace talks failed, America sought to choke Iran’s economy with an armed blockade of Iranian ports.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The US has extended by 30 days its waiver from sanctions for Russian oil purchases. Just days ago, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent had ruled that out. This flip-flop is a relief.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other energy companies are speeding up their searches for new oil-and-gas prospects—far away from the perils of the war in the Middle East.Exxon recently outlined a potential plan to pump up to $24 billion into Nigeria’s deep-water oil fields, while Chevron expanded its footprint in Venezuela. BP bought stakes in oil blocks off the coast of Namibia, and TotalEnergies signed an exploration deal with Turkey.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.WASHINGTON—The United Arab Emirates has opened talks with the U.S. about obtaining a financial backstop in case the Iran war plunges the oil-rich Persian Gulf state into a deeper crisis, U.S. officials said.U.A.E.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's top private lenders, led by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, reported strong growth numbers in the quarter just gone by but have turned cautious on business prospects in fiscal 2027 as the West Asia war and consequent economic disruptions stoke uncertainty.While domestic demand trends have been robust so far, war-related tensions cloud visibility on future growth and lending, especially to small and medium enterprises and export-oriented companies.HDFC Bank’s loans grew 12% on year to ₹29.6 trillion as at the end of March 2026, whereas deposits were 14% higher at ₹31 trillion. On its post-earnings media call Saturday, managing director and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan stated that it would be difficult to predict the future pace of growth given the war even though expansion is expected to continue.“The trajectory is the right path in terms of positive momentum and we shall calibrate that as we get more clarity from the macro indicators over a period of time,” Jagdishan said, adding that so far the impact from the geo-political situation has been minimal.Jagdishan said bank clients have seen a certain level of disruption but what is really encouraging is their resilience.