Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 0.37%, Shanghai Composite up 0.26% Hang Seng up 0.45% ASX down 0.41%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,465.75 (1.24%) Silver at $69.463 (2.17%), Brent Oil at $100.93 (-0.94%), WTI Oil at $93.48 (-1.06%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.425, UK 10-year yield at 4.9710, Germany 10-year yield at 3.0631
News & Data:
- (USD) Unemployment Claims 210K to 211K expected
Markets Update:
Asia-Pacific markets declined Friday after a volatile overnight session on Wall Street, as uncertainty over a possible Middle East peace deal continued to unsettle investors. Conflicting signals from the Donald Trump administration and Iran kept sentiment cautious across regional exchanges.
Trump said he would delay his earlier deadline to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure by ten days, moving it to April 6 to allow negotiations to continue. According to the president, the extension followed a request from Tehran and was granted after ten oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said discussions were progressing well despite what he described as inaccurate media reports. Washington has recently emphasized its preference for a negotiated settlement, though Tehran has denied holding direct talks with the United States.
Reports indicated Iran rejected a 15-point U.S. proposal and instead sought guarantees that both the United States and Israel would halt future attacks and formally recognize its authority over the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices eased as tensions moderated, while South Korea’s Kospi led regional losses, followed by declines in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, and mainland China, despite stronger Chinese industrial profit data released Friday showing a sharp year-on-year rise in January-February earnings that highlighted improving manufacturing momentum across the world’s second-largest economy and supported cautious optimism.
Upcoming Events:
- 07:00 AM GMT – GBP Retail Sales m/m
