Asia-Pacific markets opened the week mixed on Monday as investors assessed falling oil prices and easing tensions in the Middle East following a pause in hostilities between the United States and Iran.
By 11:40 am AEST (1:40 am GMT), Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was trading 0.8% higher, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.1%, while South Korea's KOSPI 200 declined 0.6%.
The moves followed a mixed session on Wall Street on Friday, with investors remaining cautious ahead of a major week of technology earnings and the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate decision.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, the S&P 500 gained 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6% as semiconductor stocks continued to weigh on technology shares amid concerns over artificial intelligence spending.
In commodity markets, ICE Brent crude futures fell 3.9% on Friday to US$96.78 a barrel as easing Middle East tensions reduced concerns over potential supply disruptions. Spot gold edged 0.2% higher, settling at US$4,055.42 per ounce.
Chinese markets extended losses on Friday, with the Shanghai Composite Index falling 1.6% to 3,814.2, while the CSI 300 declined 1.7% to 4,649.2.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped 1% to 24,963.2, while India's BSE Sensex slipped 0.4% to 76,059.8.
European equities finished broadly higher on Friday; the UK's FTSE 100 advanced 0.9% to 10,736.2, Germany's DAX climbed 1.4% to 25,099.0, and France's CAC 40 rose 0.9% to 8,372.3.
