Market news for March 16, 2026: Asian markets were wary as Gulf tensions kept oil high, complicating inflation outlooks and leading central banks to pause or, in one case, hike rates.

Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region.

Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Chai Pei Chieh & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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Asian markets wary, oil high, rates on pause