Nipun Capital CIO Pooja Malik warned that a Strait of Hormuz blockade and $100 oil could spike U.S. inflation by 90 basis points, severely impacting emerging markets. Managing a $2 billion portfolio, she anticipates a one- to two-month disruption would hit EM equities hardest while keeping the Fed in a cautious stance. To navigate this volatility, Malik favors structural investments in China, AI supply chains, and Saudi upstream oil, though she remains wary of broad South Asia exposure. Despite the tactical shift toward fossil fuels during the crisis, she maintains that structural demand for clean energy remains a vital long-term driver. (Source: Bloomberg)