On Friday morning (13 June, 9:29 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific decreased across the region following reports that Israel had launched a military operation aimed at Iran’s nuclear facilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Israel acted alone in its strike on Iran, without U.S. involvement, and warned Tehran not to target American interests. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special state of emergency amid concerns of potential Iranian retaliation.
In the U.S., producer prices edged up 0.1% in May, undershooting Dow Jones economists’ forecast of a 0.2% increase. The milder-than-expected rise in wholesale inflation provided a lift to major stock indexes and sent bond yields lower, signaling renewed optimism among investors.
Japan’s NIKKEI fell by 1.06% to 37,768.68. South Korea’s KOSPI shrank by 0.72% to 2,898.98, and Australia’s ASX 200 slid by 0.23% to 8,545.6.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC contracted by 0.52% to 3,385.02. Hong Kong’s HSI declined by 0.45% to 23,927.72, and Shenzhen’s SZI diminished 0.79% to 10,153.27.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) surged by 0.24% to 42,967.62. NASDAQ rose by 0.24% to 19,662.48, and S&P 500 grew by 0.38% to 6,045.26. VIX soared by 4.4% to 18.02.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Thursday as investors locked in gains following a sharp 4% surge in the prior session. The previous rally was fueled by mounting worries over potential supply disruptions stemming from escalating tensions in the Middle East. Brent futures dropped 41 cents or 0.6% to $69.36 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 11 cents or 0.2% to $67.97 per barrel.
Meanwhile, following the latest development regarding Israel and Iran, Brent futures jumped $6.04 or 8.71% to $75.4 a barrel, and the WTI futures added $6.14 or 9.02% to $74.18 per barrel this morning.
Gold futures gained 1.44% to $3,451.5 per Troy ounce.
