It also took a little steam out of the tech-driven bull run in stock markets, with Japan's Nikkei easing 0.2 per cent, while South Korean shares went flat
Brent crude traded near $100 per barrel, and the greenback held gains from the previous session after Iran said the US had violated a ceasefire
Shares were mixed Tuesday in Asia after the US military said it carried out what it called "self-defence" strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines. The attacks came even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations on ending the war were "proceeding nicely." US futures jumped. Oil prices were mixed, with Brent crude trading below USD 95 a barrel. The US military said the strikes Monday were done "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." It said it used restraint due to the ceasefire with Iran, which gave no official response. Further details were not immediately available, including more specifics on threats from Iran and what this means for negotiations. With the status of peace talks with Iran unclear, markets have been swayed by various developments and comments by Trump. "Markets are behaving as though a full Iran breakthrough already exists, even though the hardest parts of the negotiation rema
Asian shares mostly rose Monday and oil prices plunged after US President Donald Trump said talks on ending the war with Iran are progressing. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 3.1 per cent in morning trading to 65,321.56. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4 per cent to 8,692.70. The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.4 per cent to 4,127.53. Trading was closed in South Korea and Hong Kong for holidays marking Buddha's birthday. Trading will be closed in the US on Monday for Memorial Day. Trump said negotiations with Iran were "proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner." Meanwhile, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday that the United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Reopening the Strait of Hormuz will help decide the direction of oil prices. The closure has prevented oil tankers from exiting the Persian Gulf and delivering crude to ...
Asian shares advanced Friday following modest gains on Wall Street, while oil prices rose as efforts to end the Iran war yielded limited results. Oil prices had eased Thursday in US trading, alleviating pressure from the bond market as yields fell. Earlier this week yields climbed so high they threatened to slow economies worldwide and undercut prices for stocks, bitcoin and all kinds of other investments. US futures edged higher and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was up 2.7% at 63,352.44. A report showed inflation hitting a four-year low in April, at 1.4%, despite higher prices for oil and gas due to the war. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6% to 7,860.59. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.2% to 25,685.65, while the Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.5% to 4,096.24. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.5% at 8,664.00. Taiwan's Taiex was trading 1.5% higher, while India's Sensex edged up 0.2%. Oil prices remained elevated over disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil and gas
Shares rallied Thursday across Asia, tracking gains on Wall Street after pressure from the bond market eased and oil prices fell back. The advance was also powered by a stronger-than-expected quarterly report from chipmaker Nvidia, whose profit rocketed more than 200% higher in the February-April quarter from a year earlier, while revenue jumped 85%. Nvidia has been one of the biggest beneficiaries from the boom in artificial intelligence, thanks to powerful demand for its high-end AI chips. Its shares rose 1.3% on Wednesday before its earnings report was released, but they fell 1.3% in afterhours trading after the announcement. South Korea's Kospi soared 8% to 7,787.74, helped by strong buying of technology shares such as Samsung Electronics, which gained 7.5% after its labour union and management reached an agreement late Wednesday that averted a strike. Shares in SK Hynix, a computer chipmaker partnering with Nvidia, surged 11.3%. The Kospi has been breaching records, recently .
Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.6% in morning, erasing initial gains after the government reported that the economy grew for the 2nd straight quarter in Jan-Mar due to better than expected consumer spending
Japan's Nikkei eased 0.4 per cent, having fallen 2 per cent last week, though that was from record highs
Japan's Nikkei also dropped 1.2 per cent as data showed the country's wholesale inflation accelerated to 4.9 per cent in April, the fastest pace in three years
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.6 per cent, down for a second day as Korean shares fell as much as 3.2 per cent before rebounding
Japan's Nikkei fell 0.3 per cent, erasing earlier gains; South Korea's chipmaker-heavy KOSPI index rose 5 per cent
Shares in South Korea and Taiwan have rallied the most in the world this month, with the surge in the Kospi index taking it up 78 per cent for the year
Benchmark Brent crude futures were up about 1 per cent to $101 a barrel, while European stocks fell 0.9 per cent
Japan's Nikkei returned from a long holiday to cross 62,000 for the first time, catching up on a blistering AI-led rally after robust earnings that has also catapulted South Korean and Taiwan stocks
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 2.3 per cent to a fresh record, led by a 5.1 per cent surge in South Korea's Kospi
President Donald Trump said the US would begin an effort to free up ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, but gave no details of the plan
Market holidays limited the reaction across Asia on Friday, with the Nikkei up 0.4 per cent and Australian shares adding 0.7 per cent
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid 1 per cent on Thursday, but was still set for a 15 per cent gain this month
Stocks mostly advanced in Asia on Wednesday despite losses on Wall Street, while oil prices fell after the United Arab Emirates said it would leave OPEC in a blow to the powerful oil cartel. US futures edged higher. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 per cent to 6,657.40 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 1.4 per cent to 26,029.02. The Shanghai Composite index traded 0.3 per cent higher at 4,091.01. Australia's S and P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3 per cent, to 8,689.50. Taiwan's Taiex lost 0.6 per cent, and India's Sensex gained 0.4 per cent. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in June fell 0.5 per cent to USD 110.71 early Wednesday. Brent to be delivered in July dropped 0.6 per cent to USD 103.74. Brent oil was around USD 70 per barrel before the war began in late February. Benchmark US crude fell 0.6 per cent to USD 99.32 a barrel. The UAE's departure from OPEC, due to happen on Friday, has been closely w
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.12 per cent, hovering near the record high it touched on Monday