On Wednesday morning (25 June, 9:19 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific increased across the region as traders digested signs of a potential truce in the Israel-Iran conflict alongside new statements from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank remains steadfast in its efforts to control inflation and signaled that interest rates are expected to hold steady for the time being. Officials are observing how new tariffs could influence price levels before making any decisions on policy shifts.
Japan’s NIKKEI rose by 0.22% to 38,874.78. South Korea’s KOSPI grew by 0.18% to 3,109.32, and Australia’s ASX 200 climbed by 0.04% to 8,558.6.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC surged by 0.05% to 3,422.31. Hong Kong’s HSI added by 0.92% to 24,400.15, and Shenzhen’s SZI gained 0.61% to 10,279.71.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) jumped by 1.19% to 43,089.02. NASDAQ soared by 1.43% to 19,912.53, and S&P 500 expanded by 1.11% to 6,092.18. VIX plummeted by 11.85% to 17.48.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Tuesday, reaching their lowest level in two weeks amid hopes that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran would ease concerns about potential supply disruptions. However, the agreement appeared fragile as President Donald Trump accused both nations of breaching the truce shortly after it was declared. Brent futures dropped $4.34 or 6.1% to $67.14 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost $4.14 or 6% to $64.37 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures escalated 89 cents or 1.33% to $68.03 a barrel, and the WTI futures increased 88 cents or 1.37% to $65.25 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures gained by 0.42% to $3,347.9 per Troy ounce.
