On Thursday morning (26 June, 9:28 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed as market participants monitored developments surrounding the ongoing truce between Israel and Iran.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell maintained his measured stance on tariffs and inflation during his second consecutive day of testimony on Capitol Hill. He reiterated that the central bank would consider lowering interest rates if higher inflation stemming from tariffs proved to be short-lived.
South Korea’s KOSPI slumped by 1.78% to 3,052.8. Australia’s ASX 200 dipped by 0.17% to 8,544.8, while Japan’s NIKKEI soared by 1.07% to 39,358.68.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC slid by 0.11% to 3,452.19. Hong Kong’s HSI dropped by 0.59% to 24,331.07, while Shenzhen’s SZI climbed by 0.19% to 10,413.41.
The U.S. stock markets were mixed on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell by 0.25% to 42,982.43. NASDAQ surged by 0.31% to 19,973.55, and S&P 500 remained unchanged at 6,092.16. VIX decreased by 4.12% to 16.76.
As for commodities, oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, buoyed by data indicating solid demand in the United States. The gains also reflected investor attention on the ongoing ceasefire between Iran and Israel, as traders evaluated the stability of the truce. Brent futures increased 54 cents or 0.8% to $67.68 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) added 55 cents or 0.9% to $64.92 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures expanded 23 cents or 0.34% to $67.91 a barrel, and the WTI futures grew 32 cents or 0.49% to $65.24 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures rose by 0.1% to $3,346.6 per Troy ounce.
