Economy / Markets
Asian markets open lower as Wall Street slides and renewed US-Iran clashes lift oil prices
Asian equities opened lower on Tuesday after a downbeat session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell as oil prices climbed on reports that US forces had struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.3% to 9,050.30 in mid-morning trade, with healthcare and energy among the few sectors in positive territory, while the Australian dollar held at US71.75¢ and Indian benchmarks Sensex and Nifty opened flat as GIFT Nifty futures signalled a muted start.