Here’s what a Russian invasion of Ukraine would mean for markets

Treasurys are a accepted haven during periods of geopolitical and economical stress. A rally successful Treasurys would propulsion down yields, which determination successful the other absorption of prices. A Treasury selloff has pushed up yields, with the 10-year Treasury complaint TMUBMUSD10Y, 1.793% finishing adjacent 1.77% Friday aft hitting a astir two-year precocious earlier successful the week.

The Swiss franc, different fashionable haven, could besides rally, with the euro/Swiss franc EURCHF, -0.03% currency brace apt to autumn to CHF1.03 “on a frozen enactment if Russia moves,” Donnelly said. The euro bought 1.043 francs Friday.

Russia, which has already placed much than 100,000 troops connected Ukraine border, this week began moving tanks, infantry warring vehicles, rocket launchers and different subject instrumentality westward from bases successful its Far East, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials and social-media reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen utilizing the menace of an penetration arsenic leverage, arsenic Moscow demands that NATO ne'er connection rank to Ukraine oregon Georgia. Russia has pressed a scope of different demands, including that U.S. and allied troops permission NATO’s East and Central European members. Talks this week betwixt Russia, the U.S. and NATO failed to nutrient a breakthrough. The U.S. and its allies person pledged to respond to immoderate Russian penetration of Ukraine with harsh economical sanctions.

Jitters roseate Friday aft a cyberattack near a fig of Ukrainian authorities websites temporarily unavailable. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko told the Associated Press it was excessively soon to archer who was down the attack, “but determination is simply a agelong grounds of Russian cyber assaults against Ukraine successful the past.”

Russia’s penetration and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula successful 2014 sent shudders done planetary markets, but arsenic is often the lawsuit astir geopolitical flare-ups, volatility soon subsided.

“In 2014, U.S. equities had immoderate meaningful downdrafts connected Ukraine (March and May) but shook disconnected the communicative alternatively quickly. I don’t deliberation equities are a bully mode to play this scenario,” Donnelly said.

When it comes to equities, the takeaway from past geopolitical crises whitethorn beryllium that it’s champion not to merchantability into a panic, wrote MarketWatch columnist Mark Hulbert successful September.

He noted information compiled by Ned Davis Research examining the 28 worst governmental oregon economical crises implicit the six decades earlier the 9/11 attacks successful 2001. In 19 cases, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.56% was higher six months aft the situation began. The mean six-month summation pursuing each 28 crises was 2.3%. In the aftermath of 9/11, which near markets closed for respective days, the Dow fell 17.5% astatine its debased but recovered to commercialized supra its Sept. 10 level by Oct. 26, six weeks later.

Donnelly said helium tends to slice marketplace reactions to governmental angst.

“Geopolitical issues are simmering each the clip and if you look backmost connected history, very, precise fewer geopolitical events interaction markets for much than a fewer days,” helium said, but noted that determination are exceptions — and erstwhile they happen, “it’s huge.”

U.S. stocks posted a mixed decorativeness Friday, leaving the Dow Jones Industrial Average a 0.9% play autumn and the S&P 500 SPX, +0.08% and Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.59% each down 0.3%. Early 2022 weakness successful U.S. equities has been blamed mostly connected a leap successful Treasury yields tied to surging ostentation pressures and expectations the Federal Reserve volition beryllium overmuch much assertive than antecedently anticipated successful raising rates and tightening policy.

The VanEck Russia exchange-traded money RSX, -1.54% is down 6.6% truthful acold successful January and has dropped implicit a 4th from a more-than-nine-year precocious acceptable successful precocious October. The Russian ruble USDRUB, -0.32% is down much than 9% versus the U.S. dollar implicit astir the aforesaid stretch.

Barron’s: As Russia-Ukraine Tensions Heat Up, Russian Stocks May Be Too Cheap to Resist

Meanwhile, analysts accidental investors haven’t afloat priced successful what an penetration would mean for commodities, peculiarly earthy state NG00, +1.20%, wheat W00, -0.54%, and maize C00, +1.79%, wrote MarketWatch’s Myra Saefong.

Europe relies heavy connected Russian state transiting done Ukraine, and peculiarly truthful fixed 2022 has started with record-low European state stocks. An penetration would apt scuttle support of operations for the precocious completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is acceptable to bring much earthy state straight to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.

Oil futures person rallied to statesman 2022, with West Texas Intermediate crude CL00, +2.72% the U.S. benchmark up much than 11% since the calendar flipped, portion planetary benchmark Brent crude BRN00, +0.44% has precocious much than 10%. Both are trading not acold disconnected multiyear highs acceptable successful November.

Read: Oil rallies arsenic expert warns Ukraine situation could beryllium a ‘seismic event’ for the vigor market

“With lipid prices firmly successful the White House governmental reddish portion and a Russian penetration of Ukraine inactive a beforehand and halfway concern, the scramble for further barrels volition apt go an progressively urgent priority,” wrote analysts astatine RBC Capital Markets, successful a Thursday note.