Asia Moves Mixedly This Morning
Asian stock markets moved mixedly on Tuesday (May 26), with South Korea leading gains after a long holiday. Sentiment improved on hopes of a breakthrough in US-Iran peace talks, although continued military activity around the region has kept market direction fragile.
The Kospi index briefly touched a new record of 8,094.90 in early trading, while the Kosdaq rose 2.12%. These movements came as investors responded to comments by US President Donald Trump, who called negotiations with Iran "going well," although he also warned the US could resume strikes if the talks failed.
However, these signals of de-escalation were mixed with the latest security headlines. The US Central Command stated it conducted "self-defensive strikes" targeting Iranian missile launchers and vessels suspected of attempting to lay mines in southern Iran, confirming that the risk of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has not completely subsided.
In Japan, stocks moved lower after rallying the previous day. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.18% amid profit-taking, while the Topix weakened 0.36%. The Nikkei briefly broke through 65,000 for the first time on Monday, supported by thinner volume due to holidays in several Asian markets.
Australia also opened in the red, with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.17%. In Hong Kong, Hang Seng futures were at 25,430, lower than the index's last close of 25,606.03 on Friday, signaling a cautious opening.
In energy commodities, oil prices moved in opposite directions following Trump's comments. WTI for July fell 5.37% to US$91.41 per barrel, while Brent for July rose around 1.75% to US$97.82. For the market, the combination of hopes for the reopening of Hormuz and the risk of further attacks has caused inflation expectations and energy risk premiums to fluctuate rapidly, making the direction of risk assets in Asia highly sensitive to developments in negotiations and subsequent security headlines. (asd)
Source: Newsmaker.id
