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Asian Markets
APAC mixed as Nikkei and Kospi extend record highs
Asia-Pacific equity markets traded mixed on Friday, with South Korea extending its record-breaking rally as technology heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix climbed to fresh all-time highs. Investors also continued to assess the durability of the United States-brokered peace agreement between Washington and Tehran after U.S. Vice President JD Vance reiterated that any economic benefits for Iran would be contingent on full compliance with the terms of the deal. By 11:20 am AEST (1:20 am GMT), Australia's S&P/ASX 200 had fallen 0.9%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.8% to trade at fresh record highs. South Korea's KOSPI 200 outperformed regional peers, surging 3.4% to a new record high. Economic data from South Korea showed producer prices rose for a ninth consecutive month in May, driven largely by higher petroleum and raw material costs linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed the producer price index (PPI), a key indicator of future consumer inflation, increased 0.8% in May from the previous month. The result marked a slowdown from April's 2.8% monthly increase. On an annual basis, producer prices climbed 8.5% in May. In Japan, inflation data suggeste
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed; Nikkei, Kospi trade at records
Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Thursday as investors weighed developments in the Middle East following an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran, while lingering uncertainty over the durability of the deal kept sentiment uneven. By 11:50 am AEST (1:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had slipped 0.3%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.7% to fresh record highs. South Korea’s KOSPI also advanced 0.3%, reaching new record levels. Sentiment across the region was shaped by optimism around easing geopolitical tensions, although caution remained as markets assessed whether the agreement would hold. In individual stocks, South Korea’s SK Hynix surged 3.3% to a record high after announcing it had supplied samples of its next-generation 12-layer HBM4E memory chip to key customers. The company said the chip delivers data transfer speeds of up to 16 gigabits per second per pin and improves power efficiency by more than 20% compared with previous models. U.S. equity benchmarks closed lower overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1%, the S&P 500 slipping 1.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite declining 1.3% as investors reacted to Federal Reserve signals pointing to potential future rate hikes.
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed; Japan's exports surge
Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Wednesday as investors balanced easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East with caution ahead of the United States Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. By 11:55 am AEST (1:55 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 had gained 0.3%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lifted 0.7% to hover near record highs from the previous session, while South Korea’s KOSPI 200 eased 0.1%. In economic data, Japan’s trade balance swung to a ¥378.67 billion (A$3.34 billion) deficit in May on an unadjusted basis, according to the Ministry of Finance, compared with expectations for a ¥564.6 billion shortfall. Exports rose 17% year-on-year in May, marking the fastest growth since November 2022 and exceeding expectations of 16.2%. The increase was driven by strong demand for automobiles and semiconductors. Growth was supported by a 17.9% jump in shipments to China and a 12.5% rise in exports to the United States. Imports rose 12.5% year-on-year, the strongest growth since January 2025, though slightly below forecasts of 12.8%. In a separate release, Japan’s private-sector machinery orders, excluding volatile ship and utility-related demand, increased 8.7% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis. The result signif
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed; focus on BoJ, RBA rate decisions
Asia-Pacific markets traded in mixed fashion in early Tuesday deals as investors digested a preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war in the Middle East. By 11:30 am AEST (1:30 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.4%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1% despite touching a fresh record high, while South Korea’s KOSPI 200 gained 0.9%. South Korean defence stocks significantly outperformed the broader market, even after news of the U.S.-Iran agreement. Hanwha Aerospace, Seoul’s largest defence stock, surged 7.1%, and Hyundai Rotem, the manufacturer of the K2 main battle tank, lifted 6.8%. Among data releases, a fresh data dump from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) showed that fixed asset investment fell 4.1%, reversing a prior 5.2% gain and coming in well below market expectations of a 5.2% increase. Within the breakdown, investment in intellectual property products rose 9.3% year on year, 0.4 percentage points faster than in the first four months of the year. Infrastructure investment increased 0.6% year on year, while manufacturing investment declined 0.4%. Real estate development fell sharply, down 16.2%. The property sector also showed continued weakne
Asian Markets
APAC rallies on US-Iran peace deal
Asia-Pacific markets opened broadly higher on Monday in early trading, buoyed by reports that the United States and Iran had reached a peace deal to end the conflict in the Middle East. By 11:35 am AEST (1:35 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.3%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 5.1% to a fresh record high. South Korea’s KOSPI 200 also climbed sharply, rising 4.9%. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post. He added that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen without a toll system and that the United States would end its naval blockade. In a later post, Trump said the strait would reopen on Friday, coinciding with the scheduled signing ceremony for the peace agreement in Switzerland. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!” he said. Energy markets reacted strongly to the developments. Brent crude for August delivery fell 4.3% to $83.59 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for July delivery dropped 5% to $80.62 per barrel. On Friday in the United States, major benchmarks closed higher, with the Dow

Asian Markets
APAC markets surge on M.East optimism
Asia-Pacific markets surged on Friday amid investor optimism that the Middle East conflict could ease in the near term after United States President Donald Trump signalled that Iran and the United States may soon reach a peace agreement. By 11:40am AEST (1:40am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.8%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 3.6%, and South Korea’s KOSPI 200 surged 7.5%. According to reporting from Yonhap, South Korea’s bourse operator activated a buy-side sidecar for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) after the index spiked sharply on expectations of a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict. A sidecar is a circuit breaker mechanism used by the Korea Exchange (KRX) to temporarily suspend program trading when the KOSPI or KOSDAQ index moves sharply in a single direction. On Wall Street overnight, major U.S. benchmarks rebounded strongly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.9%, the S&P 500 rose 1.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.5%. In commodities, ICE Brent crude fell 2.9% to settle at US$90.38 per barrel, while spot gold climbed 3.5% to US$4,212.48 per ounce. In China, equities were weaker. The SSE Composite Index slipped 0.2% to 3,987.0, while the CSI 300 declined 0
Asian Markets
APAC markets fall as fresh M.East strikes hit sentiment
Asian and Pacific markets traded modestly lower on Thursday as escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices weighed on investor sentiment and encouraged a risk-off tone across regional equities. The weakness followed confirmation from United States Central Command that American forces had launched additional “self-defence strikes today at 5:15 p.m. ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” according to a post on X. By 11:25 am AEST (1:25 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.5%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 had fallen 0.2%, and South Korea’s KOSPI 200 declined 0.4%. In South Korea, fresh labour market data showed early signs of weakening employment conditions. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of employed people aged 15 and older fell by 40,000 in May compared with the same period a year earlier, marking the first annual decline in 17 months. The unemployment rate held steady at a seasonally adjusted 2.8%, but officials noted that external pressures, including the ongoing Middle East conflict, were contributing to rising uncertainty in hiring conditions. Employment growth has also slowed in recent months, easing from more than 200,000
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed; tech weakness weighs on sentiment
Asian markets delivered a mixed performance on Wednesday as investors weighed ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East alongside a subdued session on Wall Street, where technology stocks came under pressure. By 11:35 am AEST (1:35 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index had gained 0.7%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.8% and South Korea’s KOSPI 200 dropped 2.3%. Fresh economic data from the region showed inflation dynamics continuing to moderate in key economies. In Japan, the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.9% in May compared with the previous month, according to the Bank of Japan. While the reading came in above expectations, it marked a slowdown from April’s 2.3% increase. On a year-on-year basis, producer prices rose 6.3%. In China, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the consumer price index (CPI) increased 1.2% in May compared with a year earlier, matching April’s reading but coming in slightly below market expectations of 1.3%. On a monthly basis, CPI fell 0.1% in May, compared with a 0.3% rise previously and versus expectations for a 0.2% decline. In a separate release, China’s wholesale prices rose at the fastest pace in nearly four years in May, driven by surging raw mat
Asian Markets
APAC markets mixed as tech rebounds, oil eases
Asia-Pacific equity markets traded mixed on Tuesday as oil prices pulled back from recent highs after Iran and Israel said they would halt attacks on each other for now, while investors continued to buy the dip in semiconductor stocks following recent weakness. Technology shares led regional gains, tracking an overnight rebound on Wall Street as investors rotated back into artificial intelligence-linked companies. By 11:30 am AEST (1:30 am GMT), regional markets were mixed. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.1%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.9%, and South Korea’s KOSPI 200 climbed 2.8%. Among economic releases, South Korea reported stronger-than-expected economic growth, with GDP expanding at its fastest pace in more than five years in the first quarter, supported by solid exports and domestic demand, according to central bank data. Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 1.8% in the January-March period compared with the previous quarter, 0.1 percentage point higher than earlier estimates, according to preliminary figures from the Bank of Korea. This marked the strongest quarterly growth since the third quarter of 2020, when the economy expanded 2.3%. On an annual basis, South Korea’s economy grew 3.8% in the first qua