On Friday (19 June, 9:19 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in the Asia Pacific traded mixed as South Korea’s Kospi continued its record-breaking momentum. Gains were fueled by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both of which reached historic share price highs.
Market participants evaluated the prospects for a U.S.-negotiated agreement with Iran. U.S. Vice President JD Vance reiterated that any financial benefits for Iran hinge on full compliance with the deal’s terms. Separately, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei stated that approval of the agreement will be upon guarantees to protect both Iran’s interests and those of its allies.
On the economic front, Japan’s core consumer price index—excluding fresh food—remained stable at 1.4% in May. This result matched economist estimates and mirrored April’s rate, indicating muted inflation despite rising energy prices.
Notably, markets in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were shut for a holiday.
Japan’s NIKKEI rose 0.30% to 71,268.61. South Korea’s KOSPI surged 2.43% to 9,284.33, while Australia’s ASX 200 dropped by 1.01% to 8,821.20.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased by 0.14% to 51,564.70. NASDAQ advanced by 1.91% to 26,517.93, and S&P 500 grew by 1.08% to 7,500.58. VIX plummeted by 11.06% to 16.40.
As for commodities, oil prices were mixed on Thursday following statements from Vice President JD Vance regarding significant tanker activity—the transit of over 12 million barrels of oil—through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude for futures delivery rose 30 cents, or 0.38%, closing at $79.85 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude futures ended the session down 19 cents, a decline of 0.25%, to $76.60 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures lost 27 cents, or 0.34%, to $79.58 per barrel, and the WTI futures fell 46 cents, or 0.60%, to $76.14 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures slumped by 1.15% to $4,197.10 per Troy ounce.
