Asian shares mostly gain and oil prices fall after Trump says peace talks on Iran war are proceeding


TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Monday and oil prices plunged after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks on ending the war with Iran are progressing.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 2.8% to 65,130.03. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4% to 8,692.00. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% to 4,143.97.

Trading was closed in South Korea and Hong Kong for holidays marking Buddha’s birthday. Markets will be closed in the U.S. on Monday for Memorial Day.

Trump said negotiations with Iran were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner.” Meanwhile, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday that the United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium,

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz will help decide the direction of oil prices. The closure has prevented oil tankers from exiting the Persian Gulf and delivering crude to customers worldwide. Japan, for instance, imports almost all its oil, most of it through the strait.

“Markets are rapidly transitioning from pricing geopolitical fear toward pricing a potential peace dividend as Hormuz reopening expectations pressure oil and the dollar lower,” analyst Stephen Innes said in a commentary.

Early Monday, benchmark U.S. crude was down $5.52 at $91.08 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, sank $5.56 to $97.08 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar declined to 158.91 Japanese yen from 159.16 yen. The euro cost $1.1639, up from $1.1605.

Friday on Wall Street, stocks finished their eighth straight winning week, the best such streak since 2023. That’s even though a survey showed U.S. consumers are feeling even worse about the economy than before.

The S&P 500 added 0.4% and pulled closer to its all-time high set in the middle of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%.

Recent earnings reports from U.S. companies that topped analysts’ expectations also helped markets. But worries about inflation have pushed bond yields higher worldwide.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.56% Friday from 4.57% late Thursday, but it remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press



Source link

  • Related Posts

    TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with US Justice Department over children’s privacy

    TikTok has reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws. The DOJ said Friday that…

    B.C. lawyer who choked partner in ‘heinous’ act disciplined

    A B.C. lawyer convicted of assaulting partner faces discipline after failing to report a criminal charge to the Law Society of B.C. The Law Society of B.C. is set to…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Influencers and Resellers Are Turning Empty Boxes Into Big Cash

    Influencers and Resellers Are Turning Empty Boxes Into Big Cash

    Quebec’s Charter of the French language grants…

    TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with US Justice Department over children’s privacy

    TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with US Justice Department over children’s privacy

    BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy falls off pace after tough second round

    BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy falls off pace after tough second round

    Michael Polansky is training an AI model on skin that’s still alive

    Michael Polansky is training an AI model on skin that’s still alive

    Still more GTA 6 details from the latest leaked video: traffic cameras, car trackers, and drivers that put up a fight

    Still more GTA 6 details from the latest leaked video: traffic cameras, car trackers, and drivers that put up a fight