Asian markets slide on AI rout, oil surges on Middle East risks

September 14, 2026 (MLN): Asian markets fell on Monday as weakness in artificial intelligence-related shares weighed on investor sentiment, while renewed concerns over disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies pushed oil prices higher.

Investors also remained cautious ahead of potentially significant interest-rate decisions in the United States and Japan this week.

Japan’s Nikkei declined 0.8%, while South Korea’s benchmark index dropped 2.1% following calls from the heads of OpenAI and Anthropic for a slower pace of AI development to address associated risks.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.8%, while China’s blue-chip CSI300 index eased 0.4%, according to Reuters.

AI stocks came under pressure after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for greater caution around the development of artificial intelligence, citing concerns over risks and the need to safeguard humanity.

Meanwhile, oil prices surged as fresh attacks involving Saudi Arabia and shipping in the Gulf intensified concerns over global energy supplies. Brent crude rose 2.6% to $107.36 a barrel after gaining nearly 9% last week, while U.S. crude advanced 2.4% to $102.48 a barrel.

An outage affecting a Saudi oil pipeline and the threat of further disruption from Yemen’s Houthis have heightened fears of prolonged pressure on crude supplies.

A planned meeting in Oman between Iran and Gulf Arab states to discuss a potential arrangement for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was also postponed.

With shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb facing growing security risks, investors are increasingly concerned that elevated oil prices could persist, adding to inflationary pressures worldwide.

Markets are also positioning for a possible shift in monetary policy. A hotter-than-expected U.S. consumer inflation reading released Friday prompted traders to raise the probability of a 25-basis-point Federal Reserve rate hike on Wednesday to 86%.

Markets are also pricing in another increase by December, which would mark the first U.S. rate hike since mid-2023.

European markets were also subdued, with EUROSTOXX 50 futures down 0.2% and DAX futures losing 0.1%, while FTSE futures edged 0.2% higher. In the United States, S&P 500 futures fell 0.4%, while Nasdaq futures dropped 1.1%.

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