Arabic version: محللون يحذرون من أن ارتفاع أسعار النفط قد يجدد الضغوط التضخمية

According to Cnbc, inflation fears have returned as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran keep oil prices elevated. Oil prices fell in early trading on Friday but remained on track for weekly gains while the two countries continued trading strikes. Analysts said a sustained energy shock could raise global headline inflation and keep pressure on monetary policymakers.

BlackRock estimates that the conflict will add about 0.8 percentage points to global headline inflation. The effects are not expected to be uniform across regions. Europe and parts of Asia, which rely more heavily on energy imports, will remain more exposed to global headline inflation, BlackRock said in a note.

OCBC said stabilizing, rather than deteriorating, labor-market data would leave the Federal Reserve focused on upside inflation risks if there is a fresh energy shock. The bank’s assessment points to the potential for oil-market developments to influence the Fed’s outlook even as attention remains on wider inflation pressures.

Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment strategist at PNC Asset Management, said rising profit margins among U.S. small- and mid-cap companies were positive, but questioned whether those trends could withstand a couple of quarters of higher oil prices and continued inflation strains. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia,” Ma said Fed hawkishness is “here to stay” until there is relief in energy and oil markets and other inflation pressures that have taken a renewed path higher. He said investors should consider a balanced portfolio to diversify some of that risk away.