Asia-Pacific markets rose on Monday as investors assessed escalating Israel-Iran tensions, while awaiting a batch of data from China. Oil prices surged as Israel and Iran traded barbs, while gold prices rose, as investors sought refuge in the safe-haven metal as equity markets slumped globally. The barbs continued over the weekend. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.87%, while the broader Topix index gained 0.92%. In South Korea, the Kospi index rose 0.55%, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.31%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.24% in early trade. Investors will keep a close eye on...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.9% to above 38,000 while the broader Topix index gained 0.8% to 2,778 on Monday, reversing losses from the previous session as investors appeared to downplay rising geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Clashes between Israel and Iran continued over the weekend, with both sides targeting energy infrastructure and pushing up oil prices. Iran has also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for global oil shipments, adding to market uncertainty. Despite the global tensions, domestic focus is turning to the Bank of Japan's upcoming policy...
The Hang Seng Index started weakly, down 100 points, or 0.42%, to close at 23,791 points. The H-share index fell 32 points, or 0.37%, to close at 8,622 points, while the technology index dropped 32 points, or 0.61%, to 5,207 points. Tech shares showed a general weakening trend with Tencent down 0.5%, Alibaba 0.8%, Meituan 1.3%, Xiaomi unchanged, and Kuaishou down 0.3%. Financial shares were on a downward trajectory with HSBC Holdings down 0.4%, AIA Group 0.2%, China Ping An unchanged, and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges and Clearing down 1.1%.(alg) Source: Dimsumdaily Hong Kong