3 March 2026
Alex Grassino, Global Chief Economist

Alex Grassino, Global Chief Economist, shares his latest views on the recent increase in military activity and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Global geopolitical and economic uncertainty has unfortunately become a defining characteristic of the 2020s, the recent increase in military activity and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East being yet another example. The beginning of U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran prompted swift retaliatory action, which included an attempted drone strike on Qatar’s energy infrastructure. While no damage was recorded, a major liquefied natural gas terminal was closed, signaling the potential for broader fallout than resulted from the June 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.
Key takeaways from Chinese mainland NPC meeting
The annual meeting of Chinese mainland’s National People’s Congress (NPC) is concluding this week. The China equity team shares its latest views on key policy developments and analyses the main growth engines supporting high quality growth.
Latest asset allocation views amid latest Middle East developments
Against a backdrop of elevated uncertainty, the Multi Asset Strategy Team (MAST) summarizes key market moves, and the potential cross-asset implications.
Middle East developments - Implications for Asian equities and fixed income
The Asian Equities and Asian Fixed Income team assess the recent Middle East developments and implications for Asia asset classes.
Key takeaways from Chinese mainland NPC meeting
The annual meeting of Chinese mainland’s National People’s Congress (NPC) is concluding this week. The China equity team shares its latest views on key policy developments and analyses the main growth engines supporting high quality growth.
Latest asset allocation views amid latest Middle East developments
Against a backdrop of elevated uncertainty, the Multi Asset Strategy Team (MAST) summarizes key market moves, and the potential cross-asset implications.
Middle East developments - Implications for Asian equities and fixed income
The Asian Equities and Asian Fixed Income team assess the recent Middle East developments and implications for Asia asset classes.