Asia-Pacific markets open higher as investors assess U.S.-Iran peace deal diplomacy
While oil prices fell in U.S. trading, reports that Tehran intends to keep its enriched uranium stockpile within the country stand to complicate negotiations with the U.S.
MikeTyes
A screen displays share prices inside the Kabuto One building in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, April 13, 2026. Oil surged and stocks fell after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran following the collapse of weekend peace talks. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Friday as investors assess U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts at reaching a peace deal in the Middle East.
While oil prices fell in U.S. trading on hopes of a deal, reports that Tehran intends to keep its enriched uranium stockpile within the country stand to complicate negotiations with Washington as President Donald Trump has made dismantling Iran's nuclear program a central objective of his military action against Tehran.
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.36%, while the Topix added 0.55%. Japan's core inflation eased more than expected in April to its lowest level since March 2022, weakening the case for an early rate hike by the Bank of Japan.
Core inflation — which strips out prices of fresh food — came in at 1.4%, lower than the 1.7% expected by economists polled by Reuters and below the 1.8% reading in March.
South Korea's Kospi was up 0.52%, while the Kosdaq Index jumped over 3%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.5%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures were last at 25,568, higher than the index's last close of 25,386.52.
Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a record close. The blue-chip index gained 276.31 points, or 0.55%, for a closing record of 50,285.66. The S&P 500 advanced 0.17% to 7,445.72, while the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.09% to end at 26,293.10.
— CNBC's Sean Conlon and Alex Harring contributed to this report
