China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.39% to 3,971 on Monday, April 13, as markets absorbed simultaneous pressure from Donald Trump's 50% tariff threat against China and reported moves toward a blockade of Iranian ports. The dual escalation injected fresh uncertainty into Asian equity markets at the open, with the broader CSI300 also declining. Trump's tariff threat, if enacted, would represent a sharp escalation beyond existing trade barriers between the US and China, directly targeting export-dependent sectors and supply chains already under stress. A blockade of Iranian ports carries secondary consequences for regional energy flows and shipping routes, with knock-on effects for commodity pricing and freight risk. The convergence of trade and geopolitical pressure in a single session is a signal to watch: sustained tariff rhetoric at this level tends to compress risk appetite in Chinese equities, push capital toward defensive assets, and complicate any near-term stabilization in US-China trade negotiations. Investors will be tracking whether Trump's tariff statement hardens into formal policy action and how Beijing chooses to respond.
Indian startups raised $5.2 billion across 501 deals in H1 2026, down 9% in value but up 7% in deal count year-on-year, per the Inc42 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report. The drop is driven by fewer mega-rounds, while AI funding surged 317% and growth-stage deal activity hit a multi-year high.
The BSE Sensex fell 893 points and the Nifty 50 shed 279 points on June 30, 2026, wiping out roughly Rs 6 lakh crore in investor wealth in a single session. Both indices dropped 1.16%, closing at 76,200.68 and 23,824.10 respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fell nearly 3% to Rs 397.6 after CEO Ashok Vaswani announced plans to exit the bank. Investor concern now centres on succession timing and whether the bank's ongoing digital and deposit-growth strategy will stay on track.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 3% at Monday's open while Japan's Nikkei fell 1%, as escalating US-Iran conflict triggered a broad risk-off move across Asian markets. South Korea's heavy reliance on Middle East oil imports makes it especially vulnerable to geopolitical shocks of this kind.
