South Korea’s retail investors, known locally as "ants", have doubled down on the stock market despite its sharpest swings on record amid mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Ram Nabong reports.

Asian stocks have traded mostly lower after Wall Street had its worst day since the start of the Iran war over growing doubts about a de-escalation

U.S. stocks had their worst day since the war with Iran started, as doubt took over again from hope on Wall Street about a possible end to the conflict.

Wall Street lurched lower in premarket trading Friday and oil prices reached higher as Israel launched a new wave of attacks on Iran and President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Economists say the conflict in Iran is making a recession more likely, with higher energy prices hitting consumers and businesses.

U.S. stocks are falling Friday as Wall Street stumbles toward the finish of a fifth straight losing week, which would be its longest such streak in nearly four years. The S&P 500 sank 0.8% in early trading,

Oil prices strengthened Friday, leading U.S. benchmark crude to turn higher for the week, as President Trump’s latest pause on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure did little to calm nerves over tightening global supplies.

Investor optimism over an Iran peace deal waned on Thursday, with oil spiking and stocks tumbling a day after markets cheered a potential peace plan.