Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 2.52%, Shanghai Composite up 0.88% Hang Seng up 0.12% ASX up 1.63%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,601.65 (3.77%) Silver at $73.440 (5.60%), Brent Oil at $96.26 (-3.97%), WTI Oil at $89.17 (-3.52%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.346, UK 10-year yield at 4.9560, Germany 10-year yield at 3.0135
News & Data:
- (USD) Flash Manufacturing PMI 52.5 to 51.5 expected
- (USD) Flash Services PMI 51.1 to 52.0 expected
Markets Update:
Asian markets advanced on Wednesday, led by strong gains in South Korean equities, after comments from U.S. President Donald Trump signaled possible negotiations with Iran, improving investor sentiment despite Tehran’s denial of direct talks with Washington.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said the United States and Iran were “in negotiations right now” and suggested Tehran was interested in reaching a peace agreement. He also noted that he had stepped back from earlier threats to strike Iranian energy infrastructure due to the ongoing discussions.
South Korea’s Kospi surged 3%, while the small-cap Kosdaq climbed 3.18%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 2%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 2.88%, with the broader Topix index advancing 2.4%. In Greater China, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 1.14%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 edged up 0.67%.
Oil prices declined during early Asian trading hours, with Brent crude futures dropping about 6% to $98.31 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures falling 5% to $87.65 per barrel.
U.S. stock futures also moved higher Tuesday night. Futures tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively, while Dow Jones futures gained 318 points, or 0.7%.
Earlier, U.S. markets closed lower as investors reacted to renewed oil price volatility and the Iran conflict entering its fourth week. The S&P 500 slipped 0.37%, the Dow fell 0.18%, and the Nasdaq declined 0.84%.
Upcoming Events:
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