Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets rallied Friday as optimism over US-Iran talks boosted regional equities, while rising oil prices kept inflation concerns in focus. Investor sentiment strengthened through the session on hopes that diplomatic progress could stabilise energy supplies after weeks of turbulence from the Middle East conflict, even as crude prices ticked higher on the day.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks to end the war could progress, eyeing help from Pakistani mediators to help strike an agreement. “I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today. So hopefully that’ll advance this further,” Rubio told reporters. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that negotiations were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” Trump said.
A ceasefire agreed on April 8 halted weeks of fighting between the US-Israel alliance and Iran, but has yet to produce a lasting peace deal, leaving markets vacillating at every development. Tehran said it was reviewing US proposals but warned of a “forceful response” to any renewed attack, as both sides exchanged terms under the threat of escalation. A key sticking point remains the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed despite the ceasefire and normally transports one-fifth of global energy supplies.
Across Asia, gains broadened into the afternoon. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 closed 2.7 percent ahead at a record high. Taipei added more than 2.0 percent fuelled by strength in technology stocks. Taiwanese chip giant TSMC’s shares were trading 1.0 percent higher. Shanghai and Hong Kong closed ahead. Sydney, Jakarta, and Mumbai also advanced, as did Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, pointing to a region-wide rally.
Oil prices ticked up, with Brent crude above $104 a barrel and US benchmark WTI near $98, both rising on the day. Analysts said energy and rates dynamics remained central to market direction. “Markets have treated the continuation of dialogue itself as modestly constructive,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management. “Still, underneath the surface, the bigger macro story remains the steady rise in US yields,” he wrote in a commentary. “Markets are increasingly repricing the possibility that the Fed may need to stay tighter for longer or even hike as growth and inflation remain sticky.”
The gains followed a cautiously positive session on Wall Street, where equities edged higher at the close on Wednesday. Attention also turned to South Korea, where unionised workers at Samsung were set to begin voting on Friday on a tentative wage deal that has averted a major strike. The chip giant and its union reached the provisional agreement late Wednesday following last-minute, government-mediated talks, avoiding a planned 18-day strike that was set to begin on Thursday. The prospective deal introduces a new bonus pool for employees in the semiconductor division, equivalent to 10.5 percent of the division’s operating profit, to be paid in stock.
While workers are expected to benefit from the deal, some shareholders have voiced opposition, vowing to pursue legal action against it. Shares in Samsung Electronics were 2.3 percent lower on Friday afternoon. Japan government data showed core inflation slowed to 1.4 percent in April, coming in below market expectations as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi rushes to draft an extra budget to offset the impacts of the Middle East war.
In Europe, London, Paris, and Frankfurt were ahead. Sentiment on Wall Street has been boosted by Elon Musk’s filing for a public sale of SpaceX shares, which could be the largest initial public offering in history as the rocket and satellite company seeks to raise up to $75 billion.
– Key figures at around 0810 GMT –
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.6 percent at $105.29 a barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.1 percent at $98.38 a barrel
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 2.7 percent at 63,339.07 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.9 percent at 25,606.03 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 4,112.90 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 10,486.06
Euro/dollar: DOWN at 1.1606 from $1.1622 on Thursday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at 1.3427 from $1.3439
Dollar/yen: UP at 159.12 from 158.91 yen
Euro/pound: FLAT at 86.45 from 86.48 pence
New York – DOW: UP 0.6 percent at 50,285.66 points (close)
© 2024 AFP
