Oil, dollar and gold rise after attack against Iran

The dollar advances in international markets, while oil and gold prices soar, in a climate of greater risk aversion, after the offensive by the United States and Israel against Iran, which may be more serious than other international conflicts.

At the opening of the Asian markets this Monday, the DXY index, which measures the behavior of the dollar against a basket of six currencies, advanced 0.4 percent, to 97.96 units.

Thus, the Mexican peso depreciated 0.55 percent in the first international operations, to stand at 17.3227 units per dollar.

Meanwhile, investors increase oil purchases, the main conduit for transmitting the Iranian crisis to the entire global economy and markets. If the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil passes, is closed, the price could exceed $100 a barrel, putting pressure on inflation and costs for businesses and consumers, as well as making it difficult to lower interest rates.

The barrel of Brent soared 9.29 percent, to $79.20, and WTI rose 7.89 percent, to $72.31.

The increase in production by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as the accumulation of inventories in recent months by several large consuming countries, could partially alleviate this situation.

Upload the fear index

The price of gold is close to $5,400 per ounce. The metal rose 2.79 percent, to $5,393.84. Silver acquired a more bullish bias, and advanced 3.34 percent, to $96,408.

While the call fear indexthe S&P 500 VIX, rose 8.18 percent, the futures of the United States stock indices operated with falls of more than one percent. The Nasdaq future lost 1.06 percent; the S&P 500, 1.02 percent, and the Dow Jones, 1.19 percent. Korea’s Kospi lost one percent and Japan’s Nikkei lost 2.14 percent.