Nikkei

• Experts and policymakers at a Nikkei conference in Tokyo warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is triggering an energy crisis with wide-reaching economic spillover effects. • The Malaysian central bank Governor highlighted that these disruptions are negatively impacting industrial inputs, logistics, food prices, and the tourism sector across Asia. • The regional outlook is further complicated by the rise of AI-driven disinformation, which threatens to destabilize markets and political stability.

• Asian markets experienced a significant downturn, led by South Korea's benchmark Kospi index, which crashed nearly 9% due to a tech selloff. • The severity of the Kospi's decline triggered a circuit breaker, resulting in a temporary halt of all trading activity. • Other regional markets also fell, with Japan's Nikkei 225 dropping 3.4% and Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures trading lower than Friday's close of 24,961.95.

• Major Asian stock markets experienced a severe crash, with South Korea's KOSPI index suffering the most significant decline. • Trading on the KOSPI was officially halted after a 9% drop triggered a circuit breaker, while Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by 4%. • Other regional indices, including Hong Kong's Hang Seng, China's Shanghai Composite, Taiwan's TAIEX, and Australia's ASX/200, also saw steep plunges.

• South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese stock markets experienced a sharp decline on Monday morning, driven primarily by a sell-off in technology shares. • The rout was triggered by investor fears regarding potential U.S. interest rate hikes and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. • Currency markets felt the impact as the Japanese yen and South Korean won came under significant pressure.

• Asian markets experienced a significant downturn on Friday, highlighted by South Korea’s Kospi index tumbling 5.7% and Japan's Nikkei 225 slipping 1.1%. • The slump was driven by a cooling AI-led rally, with major tech stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix falling approximately 6% and 8%, respectively. • Other regional indices were also affected, including a 2.41% drop in the Kosdaq and a 0.2% decline in Australia’s S&P/ASX 200.

• Asia-Pacific markets opened lower due to renewed tensions between Iran and the U.S., sparking fears that the conflict could keep inflation elevated. • Specific losses were noted in mainland China, where the CSI 300 fell 0.69% to 4,904.75, and in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng dropped 1.31%. • The downturn reflects investor anxiety over geopolitical instability and its potential to disrupt global energy prices and economic stability.

• Japan's Nikkei index reached a record high as Asia-Pacific markets generally opened higher, despite ongoing volatility in oil prices and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. • Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.36% following a report that GDP grew 2.5% year-on-year for the first quarter, slightly missing the 2.6% forecast by economists. • Australian growth was hindered by reduced household and government spending, alongside severe weather disruptions that impacted the mining sector.

• Japanese and South Korean stock markets opened higher on Friday, May 29, following record-breaking performance in U.S. indices. • The Nikkei 225 Index surpassed the 66,000-point threshold, reaching an intraday high of 66,036.50 and positioning itself for a new record. • Samsung shares rose over 6% after the company delivered its first batch of 12-layer HBM4E memory chips, while the Kospi neared its own record high.