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Stock markets are one of the clearest windows into how the world economy is behaving. When investors expect growth, shares tend to rise. When they fear inflation, war, or slower profits, they sell first and ask questions later. That is exactly the mood in global markets right now: major U.S. indexes fell again at the end of March, extending a fifth straight week of declines, while Europe also closed weaker as investors weighed the impact of the Middle East conflict on oil, inflation, and growth. At the center of the story is energy. Brent crude climbed to $112.57 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose to $99.64, showing how quickly geopolitical shocks can feed into market prices. Earlier in the month, markets had briefly rallied when oil retreated and traders hoped the Strait of Hormuz could reopen, but the relief was short-lived. What a stock market actually does A stock market is a place where investors buy and sell shares in companies. If a company performs well, expands...