Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 0.90%, Shanghai Composite down 0.30% Hang Seng down 1.40% ASX down 0.28%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,814.96 (0.14%) Silver at $78.978 (0.34%), Brent Oil at $98.21 (-1.20%), WTI Oil at $93.46 (-1.31%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.319, UK 10-year yield at 4.8530, Germany 10-year yield at 3.0319
News & Data:
- (USD) Unemployment Claims 207K to 213K expected
Markets Update:
Asia-Pacific markets opened lower Friday as cautious optimism over developments in the Middle East tempered investor sentiment, diverging from Wall Street’s record-setting rally. U.S. President Donald Trump said the conflict involving Iran “should be ending pretty soon,” reinforcing expectations of easing tensions.
Earlier, Trump confirmed that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 p.m. ET. Iran’s parliament speaker noted that Israel halting attacks on Lebanon remains a key condition for potential U.S.-Iran negotiations. Trump also indicated the next round of in-person talks between Washington and Tehran could take place next weekend. Meanwhile, a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire April 21.
Oil prices declined, with West Texas Intermediate falling 1.18% to $93.57 per barrel and Brent crude dropping 0.97% to $98.43. Japan’s export credit agency plans to establish a 600 billion yen ($3.8 billion) investment window to help Asian countries secure energy supplies.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.95% after Thursday’s record high, while the Topix lost 1.10%. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.23%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.49%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.54%.
Overnight, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at fresh record highs, extending their strong rally.
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