Insights March 23, 2026

The Hormuz Shock: No Strait line for US exit March 2026

PERSPECTIVES Special | March 2026

CIO-The-Hormuz-Shock

Contents

  • Iran crisis: The shock reshaping global markets
  • US macro in focus
  • Asset class implications
  • Conclusion

Key takeaways 

  • Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have embedded a higher global energy risk premium, driving sharp regional and sectoral dispersion and reinforcing a stagflation‑tilted market environment.
  • The US benefits from relative energy insulation as a net exporter, but rising oil prices are still pushing inflation expectations higher and limiting the Federal Reserve’s policy flexibility.
  • Market leadership is shifting toward resilience, favouring Energy, select Technology and Utilities, and defence‑linked Industrials, while rate‑sensitive and energy‑intensive sectors continue to lag.