Currency dealers monitor exchange rates in a foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on May 15, 2026.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
South Korea’s Kospi hit a fresh record Tuesday as trading resumed after a public holiday, with investor sentiment supported by hopes for a breakthrough in the U.S.-Iran peace talks.
Presidentย Donald Trumpย said Monday negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely,” though he warned that the U.S. could resume attacks if the talks failed.
Oil prices were mixed after Trump’s comments. West Texas Intermediateย futures for July fell 5.24% to $91.54 per barrel as of 11:45 p.m. ET.ย International benchmark Brent futures for July rose 1.80% to $97.87 per barrel.
Signaling the precarious nature of the Washington-Tehran engagement, the U.S. Central Command conducted “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the south of the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Tehran appears to be “blinking” over the Strait of Hormuz, ex-CIA Director David Petraeus told CNBC’s Lisa Kim at the UBS Asian Investment Conference on Monday.
South Korea’s Kospi rose to a fresh high of 8,094.90 in early trade, while the small-cap Kosdaq pared gains and was 1.34% higher.
Japan’sย Nikkei 225ย slipped 0.32% amid some profit taking, while the Topix was flat. The Nikkei 225 breached 65,000 for the first time Monday in holiday-thinned Asia trading. The Bank of Japan’s Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino said the timing of a rate hike is still being considered, as the central bank continues to monitor developments in the Middle East, according to Reuters.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.38%.
China’s CSI 300 slipped 0.28%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng reversed early losses and rose 0.45% following a public holiday on Monday.
India’s Nifty 50 was marginally lower, while the BSE Sensex was down 0.35%.
About The Author
