On Wednesday morning (18 June, 9:07 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed amid heightened geopolitical pressures, as investors weighed the potential fallout from rising hostilities between Tehran and Washington.
Concerns emerged after reports surfaced that the U.S. President Donald Trump is considering taking military action against Iran. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he called for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to accept “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”—a move that intensified global uncertainty.
ANZ Banking Group analysts underscored in a research note that Trump’s remarks are adding fuel to speculation that the U.S. could expand its participation in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which saw a dramatic uptick in tension just five days ago.
On the economic front, Japan’s exports dropped 1.7% in May from a year earlier, posting their most pronounced decrease since September 2024.
The contraction was less severe than the 3.8% downturn projected in a Reuters poll, but stands in contrast to the 2% rise reported in April.
Japan’s NIKKEI increased by 0.45% to 38,710.51. South Korea’s KOSPI rose by 0.77% to 2,973.08, while Australia’s ASX 200 slid by 0.02% to 8,539.5.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dipped by 0.1% to 3,383.92. Hong Kong’s HSI declined by 0.83% to 23,780.94, and Shenzhen’s SZI lost 0.15% to 10,136.3.
The U.S. stock markets edged down on Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped by 0.7% to 42,215.8. NASDAQ fell by 0.91% to 19,521.09, and S&P 500 shrank by 0.84% to 5,982.72. VIX jumped by 13.03% to 21.6.
As for commodities, oil prices settled higher on Tuesday as ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel stoked fears of broader instability in the region. Despite the heightened tensions, major oil and gas infrastructure and supply channels have remained largely unaffected so far. Brent futures added $3.22 or 4.4% to $76.45 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) surged $3.07 or 4.28% to $74.84 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures decreased 3 cents or 0.04% to $76.42 a barrel, and the WTI futures gained 2 cents or 0.03% to $74.86 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures dipped 0.17% to $3,401.2 per Troy ounce.
