Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 2.22%, Shanghai Composite up 0.53% Hang Seng up 1.43% ASX down 0.33%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,845.90 (0.46%) Silver at $80.550 (1.41%), Brent Oil at $94.90 (-0.03%), WTI Oil at $91.54 (0.27%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.266, UK 10-year yield at 4.8180, Germany 10-year yield at 3.0474
News & Data:
- (CAD) Manufacturing Sales m/m 3.6% to 3.8% expected
- (CAD) Wholesale Sales m/m 2.0% to 2.3% expected
Markets Update:
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged to a record high Thursday, leading gains across Asia as regional markets followed Wall Street’s overnight rally on growing expectations of a potential U.S.–Iran agreement.
The Nikkei climbed 2.43%, supported by strong advances in technology and consumer cyclical stocks. Daikin Industries led the gains after activist investor Elliott Investment Management urged the company to improve performance and narrow its valuation gap with global peers. The broader Topix index rose 1.33%.
Investor sentiment improved this week as hopes increased that tensions between Washington and Tehran could ease. In the U.S., the S&P 500 has risen about 3% this week after recovering losses linked to the Iran conflict, while the Nasdaq gained roughly 5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added more than 1%.
President Donald Trump said in a Fox Business interview that the conflict was “very close to over,” adding that Iran was eager to reach a deal. A White House official also confirmed discussions about a possible second round of negotiations, though no schedule has been finalized.
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi rose 2.12% and the Kosdaq gained 1.10%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.25% despite steady employment data. China’s CSI 300 rose 0.56% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.89%, supported by stronger-than-expected first-quarter GDP growth of 5%.
Upcoming Events:
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