On a Monday when the world's oil lanes were still tangled in an uncertain war, the stock markets of Japan and South Korea reached new peaks, lifted by the enduring hope that artificial intelligence will keep reshaping the economy. Oil climbed more than three percent as Washington and Tehran continued to talk about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage that carries a large share of the planet's energy. Investors seemed, for the moment, willing to look past the rising friction between the two governments, even as the fate of a fragile ceasefire hangs unresolved. The day reflects an ol
Japan, South Korea stocks hit more records, as oil gains on Iran war ending fragility
Neither force cancelled the other out.
On a Monday when the world's oil lanes were still tangled in an uncertain war, the stock markets of Japan and South Korea reached new peaks, lifted by the enduring hope that artificial intelligence will keep reshaping the economy. Oil climbed more than three percent as Washington and Tehran continued to talk about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage that carries a large share of the planet's energy. Investors seemed, for the moment, willing to look past the rising friction between the two governments, even as the fate of a fragile ceasefire hangs unresolved. The day reflects an old pattern in which technology optimism and the anxieties of energy markets pull in opposite directions without either one winning outright.
Stock markets in Japan and South Korea closed the opening session of the week at fresh record highs on Monday, carried by an unbroken appetite for artificial intelligence. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo climbed past 67,000 for the first time, and the Kospi in Seoul reached an all-time high above 8,800. Wall Street had already set the tone the previous Friday, with the S&P 500 setting a new record.
The mood in energy markets was far more uneasy. Oil rose more than three percent as talks between Washington and Tehran continued, including discussions about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions sharpened when the U.S. military said it had bombed Iranian military sites after Tehran shot down an American drone, a sign of how fragile the ceasefire had become.
Most Asian markets still advanced, as investors seemed willing to set geopolitical worries aside in favor of strong corporate earnings. What comes next depends on the ceasefire decision and on whether the Hormuz talks produce an agreement, and those outcomes will likely determine whether oil keeps climbing and whether the calm in stocks endures.
Stock markets in Japan and South Korea closed out the opening of the week at fresh record highs on Monday, carried by continuing enthusiasm for the artificial intelligence boom. They got there even as tensions between the United States and Iran rose again, and as investors waited on a decision about whether to extend the ceasefire in the Iran war.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 climbed past the 67,000 mark for the first time. In Seoul, the Kospi reached an all-time high above 8,800. Those moves followed another strong session on Wall Street on Friday, when the benchmark S&P 500 added 0.2% and set a new record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7% and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. U.S. futures edged higher in early Monday trading.
Oil told a different part of the story. Prices rose more than 3% as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continued, including talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which a large share of the world's oil and natural gas passes. The U.S. military said Monday that it had bombed Iranian military sites after Tehran shot down an American drone. That was the sharpest sign of friction in a week when the ceasefire's future was already undecided.
Most Asian markets still advanced. The reporting from the Hong Kong dateline describes investors looking past the geopolitical noise, at least for now, in favor of strong corporate earnings and demand tied to AI. The wire's market table for the region, along with its details on individual stocks and currency moves, arrived partly garbled in the copy available here, so those specifics cannot be reliably reported. The headline moves in Tokyo and Seoul, the oil gain, and the Wall Street figures from Friday are what the legible text supports.
The pattern behind the day is a familiar one in this market: technology demand driving equity indexes upward while energy prices respond to every shift in the diplomatic and military picture around Iran. The two forces pulled in opposite directions Monday, and neither cancelled the other out.
What to watch next is the ceasefire decision. Whether the truce is extended, and whether the talks over the Strait of Hormuz produce an agreement to reopen it, will likely determine if oil keeps climbing and whether the calm in equity markets holds.
Citazioni salienti
The U.S. military said it bombed Iranian military sites after Tehran shot down an American drone.— U.S. military, as reported by AP
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War & Conflict