Asian shares advanced as investors piled back into equities on signs the US and Iran may extend a ceasefire, helping markets unwind war-driven risk premiums. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 1.2%, nearing levels seen before the war began, as optimism over a potential US-Iran ceasefire and strong US corporate earnings lifted sentiment. Earlier, Wall Street gauges closed at record highs as traders bet a de-escalation of the Middle East conflict will ease oil prices and lift economic growth. Shares in China held their gains after economic growth rebounded more than expected in the first quarter of 2026. Helping sentiment, global crude benchmark Brent held around $95 a barrel, well below last month’s peak of nearly $120. As Middle East tensions cooled, the dollar — which emerged as the haven of choice during the conflict — weakened, with the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index set for its longest losing streak since December 2006. Investors have returned to equities despite lingering uncertainty over the war’s trajectory, as expectations grow that the US and Iran will continue negotiations and avoid further escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. Renewed enthusiasm for technology stocks has helped drive a sharp reversal from last month’s selloff, which pushed several gauges into technical correction. The US and Iran are considering extending their ceasefire that ends on Tuesday by another two weeks to allow more time to negotiate a peace agreement, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mediators between the warring sides are trying to set up technical talks to resolve the most contentious issues, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters. Those include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment. Elsewhere, gold rose 0.6% to about $4,820 an ounce, while silver jumped 1.5% to about $80 an ounce. Treasuries advanced, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year falling one basis point to 4.27% as lower oil prices reduced the risk of stoking inflation. The Australian dollar advanced to the highest since June 2022 amid broad weakness in the greenback. Meanwhile on Wall Street, technology stocks led the gains after having lagged for much of the year. The S&P 500 Index has climbed in 10 of the past 11 sessions, while the Nasdaq 100 Index rose for an 11th consecutive day on Wednesday — the longest winning streak since December 2019. Also helping the sentiment was strong earnings. Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley rose as their equity traders posted strong revenue beats. Greg Fleming, president and CEO at Rockefeller Capital, says that his clients remain focused on the market opportunity in artificial intelligence, even as uncertainty around the Iran war and energy market fallout persists. The prospect of renewed negotiations has helped sustain a broader risk-on tone across markets. Emerging-market stocks extended gains with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index climbing 1% on Thursday. Benchmarks in Singapore and Taiwan, as well as the MSCI Latin America Index, have all reversed losses that came after the US and Israel attacked Iran. China’s CSI 300 Index joined that list on Wednesday. Also, Taiwan overtook the UK in stock market value as the island’s tech firms regained favor amid hopes for further de-escalation in the Iran war. “North Asia, EM Europe and Latin America have led the relief rally, while oil-importing parts of ASEAN and India have lagged,” Goldman Sachs analysts including Kamakshya Trivedi wrote in a report. “We expect this differentiation to persist given ongoing physical disruptions.” US After Hours CDNA +8.7% and PPG +6.1% higher on upside guidance; QDEL -21.2% lower on downside guidance; CAG +0.8% on insider purchases.
Nikkei +2.41% Hang Seng +1.32% CSI +0.90% Shanghai +0.53% Shenzen +1.38%
Eur$ 1.1815 CNH 6.8151 CNY 6.8176 JPY 158.62 GBP 1.3583 CHF 0.7804 RUB 75.9873 TRY 44.7606 WTI$ 91.69 +0.44% Gold 4,824 +0.43% BTC 74,970 +0.15% ETH 2,360 -0.14%
S&P +0.16% Nasdaq +0.30% EuroStoxx +0.31% FTSE -0.10% Dax +0.14% SMI
Macro :
- US, Iran Weigh Truce Extension With Hormuz Still Shuttered
- China’s Economy Revs Up Despite War as Growth Tops Forecasts
- US Probes Suspicious Oil Trades Made Before Trump Pivots
- Taiwan Market Cap Tops $4 Trillion on AI Boom, Overtaking UK
- Taiwan Market Cap Tops $4 Trillion on AI Boom, Overtaking UK
- End of War Priced in Though ‘We’re Not There Yet’: HSBC George
- Macro Hedge Funds Hammered in China as Bridgewater Loses 5.6%
- Chinese Equities Might Hold Up Better Than Most if Mideast Conflict Re-Escalates
- Russian Billionaire Wins Key Ruling Over Fund Eyed by Oaktree
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