Geopolitical risk intensifies

Select Wealth Management – Market Review – March 2026

The escalation of tensions in the Middle East is a continuation of geopolitical events since the beginning of the year.

Nevertheless, global share markets rose during March. Emerging markets, Europe and Japan were once again among the better performing regions.

The US sharemarket was weighed down by uncertainty surrounding the larger technology companies as concerns over the level of capital spending these companies are undertaking continue to linger.

Software and services companies’ share prices have fallen materially as investors reassess their prospects amid rapid advances in agentic artificial intelligence (AI).
Geopolitical shocks are unsettling, but not uncommon. Historically, the impact of geopolitical shocks on markets has tended to be short-lived, unless they develop into economic shocks.

Investors should focus on their longer-term goals, remain patient during short-term market fluctuations, and maintain a portfolio aligned with their objectives and risk tolerance.

Select Wealth Management’s Market Review (March 2026) is available at this link.