Markets stayed cautious on Wednesday, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran kept geopolitical risk elevated, with oil rebounding, gold staying near record territory, and investors rotating selectively toward dollar safety, energy exposure, and the few growth pockets still holding up.
Crypto
Total crypto market capitalization climbed to $2.39 trillion, with the Fear & Greed Index at 26 and the Altcoin Season Index at 36/100, pointing to still-cautious market sentiment despite the rebound in overall value.
Bitcoin trades at $69,641, down 0.46%, while Ethereum hovers at $2,021.8, down 0.72%, BNB is at $641.27, down 0.11%, and Solana trades at $85.33, down 0.64%.
Spot ETF flows improved across the last two reported sessions, with March 10 showing $246.9 million in net inflows, including $185.8 million into IBIT, and March 9 bringing $167.1 million in net inflows with IBIT at $109.3 million.
Commodities
Oil stayed at the center of the trading scene, with WTI at roughly $88, up 2.22%, and Brent at $92.80, up 1.20% over 24 hours.
Prices rebounded after Tuesday’s steep drop, though they remained elevated against recent ranges as the market weighed fresh strikes in the region, damage to vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, and doubts that any release from IEA reserves would ease a real supply shock.
Gold traded at $5,191.44, up 0.02%, staying close to record levels as safe-haven demand, war risk, and inflation concerns kept support underneath the market.
Stock Market Indices
In the U.S, the S&P 500 trades at 6,781.49, down 0.21%, the Dow Jones is at 47,706.51, down 0.07%, and the Nasdaq hovers at 22,697.10, up 0.01%.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 futures fell to 54,430, down 1.39%, and the FTSE 100 slipped to 10,308, down 0.75%, reflecting the same global concern around energy security and slower growth.
Geopolitics & Market Movers
On the diplomatic front, the main market theme remained the widening Middle East conflict, with air strikes, shipping attacks, and threats to Gulf energy flows keeping risk elevated across commodities and currencies.
A second pressure point came from Iran’s internal crackdown, which added another layer of uncertainty as Tehran moved to contain dissent during wartime.
On the economic front, traders are now assessing whether this oil shock will feed into inflation just as major central banks were preparing for a softer policy path, with the dollar still acting as the preferred haven, rate-cut expectations cooling, and investors watching U.S. CPI and next week’s central bank meetings for direction.
