Asia-Pacific markets rise in Easter trade on hopes for Hormuz reopening

Asia-Pacific markets traded higher Friday, after Iran and Oman were reportedly drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes that the crucial waterway could partially reopen. Tanker traffic through the key oil-shipping route “should be supervised and coordinated” with the two countries, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister of legal…

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Business sentiment improves in Tankan survey

The Shibuya pedestrian intersection in Tokyo, Japan. Marco Bottigelli | Moment | Getty Images Large Japanese manufacturers indicated their highest level of business optimism in over four years, despite uncertainties brought about from the Iran war. That’s according to the Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan survey, a closely-watched poll that measures business sentiment among domestic…

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Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index, oil

The Tokyo Tower stands amid buildings at dusk in Tokyo, Japan. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images South Korea stocks fell sharply Monday, leading declines in the region as the Middle East war entered its fifth week. The benchmark Kospi plunged over 5%, while the small-cap Kosdaq was 3.97% lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 3.97%,…

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Trump extended deadline for attacks, peace deal

Pedestrians walk past the Exchange Square complex, which houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Paul Yeung | Bloomberg via Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets fell Friday following a volatile session on Wall Street overnight, as investors continued to parse the contradictory messaging on the Middle East from…

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Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – MARCH 05: A currency dealer works in front of an electronic screen showing South Korea’s benchmark stock index (KOSPI) in a foreign exchange dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters on March 05, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. The latest flare-up in the Iran conflict has hammered export‑reliant markets in South…

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Oil, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng Index, Kospi

Mount Fuji and the Shinjuku skyline in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets pared gains Tuesday as oil prices rebounded, underscoring lingering uncertainty over the Middle East conflict. Brent crude futures for May rose over 3.5% to $103.7 per barrel…

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