Hang Seng Drops Most in Nearly a Year
2026-03-23 08:58
By
Joshua Ferrer
1 min. read
Equities in Hong Kong tumbled 895 points, or 3.5%, to close at 24,382 on Monday, marking its biggest one-day drop since April 7 last year, as rising tensions in the Middle East triggered a sharp risk-off move and revived stagflation concerns.
Tensions intensified after US President Donald Trump warned of potential strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure, prompting Tehran to threaten retaliation against regional energy systems, raising uncertainty over the outlook of energy prices.
Analysts caution that higher input costs could pressure corporate profitability and weigh on jobs, while a sharp slowdown in global demand would pose further risks to China’s exports and broader economic growth.
Among notable laggards, Laopu Gold slumped 8.6% and Zijin Mining Group fell 5% as bullion prices dropped sharply, while Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings also declined.
In contrast, newly listed firms saw gains, with FS.com jumping on debut and Nsing Technologies posting solid early advances.