Oil, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng Index, Kospi
Mount Fuji and Shinjuku skyline in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, February 14, 2025. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Asia-Pacific markets jumped on Tuesday; South Korean stocks led regional gains after a sharp decline in oil prices eased investors’ concerns following signs that conflict in the Middle East is easing.
South Korea’s Kospi index gained 3.5%, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 3.29%. of japan Nikkei 225 increased by 2.2%, while Topix increased by 2.47%. of Australia S&P/ASX 200 It increased by over 0.74 percent.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index Futures were at 25,020 compared to the index’s last close of 24,382.47.
The gains came after US President Donald Trump said on Monday that after talks with Iranian officials he had instructed the US military to delay planned attacks on Iran’s power plants and energy facilities for five days.
But Iranian state media disputed Trump’s statement, citing an unnamed senior security official in a post on Telegram who denied any talks had taken place between Washington and Tehran.
Oil prices fell on Monday following Trump’s comments.
“PLEASE, I KNOW THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN HAVE HAD VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS REGARDING THE COMPLETE AND TOTAL SETTLEMENT OF OUR MIDDLE EAST hostilities IN THE PAST TWO DAYS,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday.
Crude oil prices were largely stable in early trading on Tuesday. US West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at $89.5 per barrel, up about 1.5%.
Stocks in the US rose on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 46,208.47, up 631 points, or 1.38%. The S&P 500 index closed at 6,581.00 points with an increase of 1.15 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite closed at 21,946.76 points with an increase of 1.38 percent.
Prior to Trump’s comments, it was published on: Real Social Futures early Monday pointed to further losses in beleaguered stock markets due to soaring oil prices and uncertainty over the duration of the Iran conflict. However, following Trump’s comments, Dow futures briefly rose over 1,000 points.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and John Melloy contributed to this report.
