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Dollar Surges as Oil Shock Triggers Global Flight to Cash

The US dollar strengthened sharply as a sudden spike in oil prices triggered a broad flight to liquidity across global markets. The US Dollar Index (USDX) climbed to 99.349, up 0.61%, as investors moved into cash and short-dated dollar assets amid rising geopolitical risks and energy market volatility. The surge in the dollar followed a dramatic rise in oil prices, which briefly approached $120 per barrel after escalating conflict in the Middle East raised fears of supply disruption. Markets reacted by selling a wide range of assets while buying the world’s most liquid reserve currency. Major currencies weakened against the dollar during the move. The euro fell 0.72% to $1.1534, while sterling dropped 0.79% to $1.3319. Meanwhile USDJPY rose 0.48% to 158.59, reflecting continued pressure on the Japanese yen as energy prices increase Japan’s import costs. The oil shock also shifted expectations for US monetary policy. Traders are now pricing around 35 basis points of Federal Reserve easing by the end of the year, down from more than 55 basis points in late February. Higher energy prices increase inflation risks, which could limit how aggressively the Fed can cut interest rates even if global growth slows. Explore how the oil shock and rising geopolitical tensions are strengthening the US dollar and reshaping expectations for global markets.

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Publication date:

2026-03-10 07:17:56 (GMT)

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