Stock markets around the world are mixed due to Middle East tension

Asian stocks retreat due to Middle East tensions, while European markets rise. Dow Jones Industrial Average rises 0.4%, S&P 500 gains 0.5%. Investors seek safer havens.

Monday saw a retreat in Asian stocks and a rise in European markets as investors sought safer havens for their money due to concerns over possibly intensifying tensions in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had a 0.4% increase in the future, while the S&P 500 had a 0.5% gain. Oil prices dropped in spite of the unrest shaking the Middle East, where an attack late on Saturday was the first time Iran has ever attacked Israel militarily, despite decades of hostility stemming from the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Standard U.S. oil dropped 97 cents to $84.69 per barrel.

The global benchmark, Brent crude, dropped $1.22 to $89.23. China's slower demand, together with predictions that supply growth is surpassing demand, has held prices in check. Early trade in major European markets saw gains, with Germany's DAX increasing 0.8% to 18,075.85. The CAC 40 in Paris increased by 0.6% to 8,060.14, while the FTSE 100 fell 0.5% to 7,959.92 in London. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.7% to 39,232.80. The U.S. dollar reached a 34-year high, while the euro gained value. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.4% to 2,670.43, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.4%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 16,619.33. The Shanghai Composite increased 1.3% to 3,057.38 following market authorities' measures to strengthen the banking sector.