Sentiment soured due to a hawkish US Federal Reserve and escalating Middle East conflict, causing a broad sell-off in the global equity markets. The majority of the European benchmark averages ended the week negatively. The oil price surged to a nearly six-month high as Iran vowed retaliation for Israel’s attack, while other safe-haven assets, including precious metals and the US dollar, continued to climb as preferred destinations for safety. This week, market participants will maintain their focus on geopolitical tensions and central banks’ rhetoric on monetary policy. Economic indicators su…