Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Tuesday as investors assessed the latest developments in United States-Iran negotiations and digested a range of regional economic data.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his national security team on Monday discussed Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade and ending the conflict, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“I will confirm the president has met with his national security team this morning,” Leavitt said at a press briefing Monday afternoon when asked about the reports.
By 11:05 am AEST (1:05 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had fallen 0.7%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.5%, while South Korea’s KOSPI 200 outperformed to reach fresh record highs, gaining 1.2%.
In economic data, South Korean business sentiment showed a modest improvement in April despite ongoing external risks, including the Middle East conflict.
The Bank of Korea’s April 2026 Business Survey Results showed the all-industry Composite Business Sentiment Index (CBSI) rose 0.8 points to 94.9, while the outlook index for the following month also increased by 0.8 points to 93.9.
However, the uptick was largely attributed to declining inventories, suggesting limited momentum for a sustained recovery.
In Japan, government data indicated the unemployment rate edged up to 2.7% in March from 2.6% in the previous month.
Market participants are also turning focus toward the Bank of Japan, which is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged later in Tuesday’s session, while maintaining flexibility to raise borrowing costs in the coming months as inflationary pressures linked to Middle East tensions persist.
Overnight in the United States, major benchmarks ended mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached fresh record highs, rising 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.
In commodities, Brent crude rose 0.6% to US$102.27 per barrel, supported by geopolitical uncertainty, while spot gold declined 0.5% to US$4,681.97 per ounce.
Across other regional markets, China’s SSE Composite Index added 0.2% to close at 4,086.3, while the CSI 300 was little changed at 4,770.9.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.2% to 25,925.7, while India’s BSE Sensex gained 0.8% to 77,303.6.
European markets closed lower on Monday, with the UK’s FTSE 100 down 0.6% at 10,321.1. Germany’s DAX declined 0.2% to 24,083.5, and France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.2% to 8,141.9.
