Oil prices rose sharply on Monday after renewed fighting between the United States and Iran heightened concerns about the security of energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global crude exports.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained 3.2 percent in early trading to reach $90.95 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 2.8 percent to $84.04 per barrel. The increases came after the United States carried out a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets, with Tehran responding by launching attacks against US allies across the Middle East.

The latest escalation has intensified fears that prolonged conflict could disrupt one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes. The Strait of Hormuz carries around one-fifth of global oil shipments, making any interruption a major concern for energy markets.

ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey said the continuing exchange of attacks between Washington and Tehran was raising the risk of wider instability across the Gulf.

“The US and Iran continue to exchange strikes, which are proving to be deadly for both sides,” the analysts said in a market note. They warned that if the conflict continues to escalate, it could lead to widespread attacks across the Persian Gulf.

They also noted that tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had slowed significantly, increasing concerns over oil supplies and contributing to the upward movement in crude prices.

The renewed geopolitical tensions added to uncertainty across global financial markets, where investors have already become cautious following strong gains in technology stocks linked to artificial intelligence.

AI-related shares, including semiconductor manufacturers, fell on Friday as investors questioned whether heavy investment in artificial intelligence could be creating excessive market valuations. Many traders chose to lock in profits after months of strong performance in the sector.

Jonas Goltermann, chief markets economist at Capital Economics, said the worsening conflict in the Gulf could place additional pressure on global markets.

He said the return of military confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz may increasingly weigh on investor sentiment, particularly if strong earnings from major technology companies continue to receive a cautious response from markets.

Investor confidence was also affected by the release of another advanced artificial intelligence model from China. Beijing-based Moonshot AI introduced its open-source Kimi K3 model, prompting fresh debate about growing competition in the AI industry.

Market observers compared the reaction to the release of China’s DeepSeek model earlier in 2025, which unsettled global technology stocks by demonstrating that lower-cost Chinese AI developers could compete with established international companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI.

With military tensions in the Middle East showing little sign of easing and investors monitoring developments in both energy and technology sectors, markets are expected to remain volatile in the days ahead.

Austria’s stock market has emerged as one of Europe’s strongest performers in 2026, driven by a sharp rally in a little-known semiconductor supplier that has transformed the outlook for Vienna’s bank-heavy equity market.

The benchmark ATX index has risen 21.3% since the start of the year, according to Trading Economics, outperforming major eurozone markets. Italy’s FTSE MIB has gained 16.1%, the Netherlands’ AEX has climbed 15.5% and Spain’s IBEX 35 is up 11.5%. Germany’s DAX has advanced just 1.6%, while France’s CAC 40 has increased 2.3%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 has gained 8.2% over the same period.

Much of Austria’s strong performance can be traced to AT&S, or Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG, a semiconductor supplier based in Leoben, Styria. Its shares have jumped 459% since the beginning of the year, rising from €32.20 at the end of December to around €174.

The company’s market value has increased from roughly €1.25 billion to about €7 billion in just over six months.

AT&S specialises in integrated circuit substrates, highly advanced components used in semiconductor packaging. These substrates provide mechanical support for processors while enabling the thousands of tiny electrical connections needed to transfer data and supply power.

The technology has become increasingly important as demand for advanced processors grows alongside artificial intelligence applications.

AT&S is one of only a limited number of companies capable of producing sophisticated substrates and is the only major European manufacturer in the sector. Its main competitors include Japanese and Taiwanese producers such as Ibiden and Shinko Electric.

The company’s financial results have also strengthened investor confidence. During its 2025/26 financial year, AT&S reported revenue of €1.8 billion, an increase of 21% at constant exchange rates. Excluding proceeds from the sale of its South Korean plant in Ansan, EBITDA rose about 50% to €418 million, while free cash flow turned positive at €236 million.

Chief Executive Michael Mertin described the year as a “strong and pivotal financial year” when the results were announced in May.

Investor interest increased further after AT&S announced agreements with AMD and another major technology customer, reported by Reuters to be Intel, to expand manufacturing capacity in Malaysia and China. The planned investment is estimated at between €1.5 billion and €2 billion.

Austria’s market remains heavily weighted toward banks and other traditional industries. Financial companies account for roughly half of the iShares MSCI Austria ETF, with Erste Group and BAWAG among its largest holdings.

AT&S, however, has rapidly risen to become the fund’s fourth-largest holding.

The company has not turned Austria into a technology-focused market, but its dramatic rise shows how a single semiconductor business positioned within the AI supply chain can have an outsized impact on an entire country’s stock market.

Apple has reclaimed its position as the world’s most valuable company, overtaking Nvidia as investors reassess the future of the artificial intelligence boom and show renewed confidence in Apple’s cautious approach to the technology.

Nvidia shares fell as much as 4% on Friday amid concerns about high valuations across the AI sector. The decline briefly pushed Nvidia’s market value to around $4.8 trillion (€4.2 trillion), slightly below Apple’s valuation of about $4.9 trillion (€4.3 trillion).

Nvidia had held the top position since 2025, benefiting from soaring demand for the powerful graphics processing units that have become essential to AI data centres. The company’s chips are widely used to train and operate large language models developed by major technology companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.

The surge in Nvidia’s value has been closely linked to the rapid expansion of the AI industry following the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Nvidia’s shares have risen more than 1,200% since January 2023, climbing from a split-adjusted price of about $14.86 (€13.00) to roughly $205 (€179.30) by mid-July 2026. The company completed a 10-for-1 stock split in June 2024.

However, investor enthusiasm has recently faced fresh questions over whether the enormous spending on AI chips, data centres and software will generate sufficient returns. Concerns about the valuations of AI-related companies have added pressure to technology stocks.

The debate has also intensified as OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the world’s most valuable privately held technology companies, prepare for potential public listings. Their progress could offer investors a clearer view of the commercial value being created by the AI sector.

Apple, meanwhile, has benefited from stronger investor sentiment despite not developing its own large language model. The company was previously criticised for falling behind rivals in AI, but its more measured approach has increasingly been viewed by some investors as a strength.

Apple shares have climbed about 20% since late June, supported by strong iPhone sales and growing optimism around its AI strategy. The company has also introduced a redesigned version of its Siri voice assistant, which has received broadly positive early reactions.

The shift in market leadership reflects changing expectations around the technology sector. Nvidia remains central to the AI infrastructure boom, but investors are now paying closer attention to how quickly AI spending can translate into sustainable profits.

Apple and Nvidia later traded close together for the top position, highlighting the narrow gap between the two technology giants. The competition between the companies is likely to remain closely watched as the AI industry develops and investors assess whether the current level of spending can deliver long-term growth.