Affected by oil prices surging above 101 US dollars per barrel, concerns that inflationary pressure may maintain high interest rates have intensified, and Asian stock markets have followed the decline in US stocks. The biggest drop in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index reached 1.3%, the biggest drop in a week, led by TSMC, Alibaba, and BHP Billiton. The biggest drop in the Korea Composite Index was 2.2%, while other Asian markets such as Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong also declined. YutingShao, senior director of global macro strategy at Manulife Investment Management, said, “Towards the end of the year, oil price fluctuations and upward risks brought about by recent escalations in the situation are indeed the main risk factors that the market must consider.”

Affected by oil prices surging above 101 US dollars per barrel, concerns that inflationary pressure may maintain high interest rates have intensified, and Asian stock markets have followed the decline in US stocks. The biggest drop in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index reached 1.3%, the biggest drop in a week, led by TSMC, Alibaba, and BHP Billiton. The biggest drop in the Korea Composite Index was 2.2%, while other Asian markets such as Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong also declined. YutingShao, senior director of global macro strategy at Manulife Investment Management, said, “Towards the end of the year, oil price fluctuations and upward risks brought about by recent escalations in the situation are indeed the main risk factors that the market must consider.”