Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Thursday as investors assessed the latest developments in the Middle East, after Iran ruled out direct negotiations with the United States despite reviewing a proposal aimed at ending the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington via intermediaries “does not mean negotiations with the U.S.,” according to Reuters.
By 11:45 am AEDT (12:45 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.2% higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.6%. In contrast, South Korea’s KOSPI 200 fell 1.3%.
The mixed session followed a positive lead from Wall Street overnight, where all three major benchmarks closed higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%, the S&P 500 gained 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.8%.
In commodities, oil prices saw a sharp pullback on Wednesday, with Brent crude settling 6.9% lower at US$97.26 per barrel, while spot gold rising 0.7% to US$4,506.85 per ounce.
Across other global markets, Chinese equities recorded solid gains. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.3% to 3,931.8, while the CSI 300 added 1.4% to 4,537.5.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 1.1% to 25,336.0, and India’s BSE Sensex advanced 1.6% to 75,273.5.
European markets also finished higher in the prior session. The UK’s FTSE 100 rose 1.4% to 10,106.8, Germany’s DAX gained 1.4% to 22,957.1, and France’s CAC 40 added 1.3% to close at 7,846.6.
