Stocks Rise

• Asian stocks rose on Friday, with gains in Japan, South Korea and Australia pushing the MSCI Asia Pacific Index higher after Wall Street gauges hit records. • The move was driven by the AI trade, strong corporate earnings and resilient U.S. consumer data, while Nvidia's six-day rally brought its market value closer to $6 trillion. • U.S. two-year Treasury yields traded at 4.03%, the highest since June, and Japan's 10-year government bond yield climbed after producer prices hit their highest level since 2023.

• MSCI’s Asian equities gauge climbed 1% at the open, with South Korea's market surging as much as 5% to a record high driven by artificial intelligence investment optimism. • Brent crude oil rose 3.6% to nearly $105 per barrel after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response to his peace proposal, prolonging tensions and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. • US S&P 500 futures fell 0.1% amid the news, while the momentum strategy favoring recent winners like tech boosted Asian markets despite Middle East risks stoking inflation fears and lifting bond yields.

• US stocks recovered from early morning losses Thursday to finish higher, with the S&P 500 up 0.7%, Dow Jones up 0.8% (382 points), and Nasdaq composite up 0.8%, buoyed by optimism over a two-week ceasefire with Iran announced late Tuesday. • Israel's announcement of direct negotiations with Lebanon helped calm market concerns that the ceasefire could unravel due to Israeli bombardment of the country, reversing initial trading pessimism. • The S&P 500 remains just 2.1% below its all-time high set in January, indicating underlying market strength despite geopolitical volatility and oil price fluctuations.

Markets in Asia and Europe move higher, while crude hovers at about $100 a barrel amid cautious optimismBusiness live – latest updatesThe price of oil has dipped and Asian stock markets moved higher after reports that Donald Trump has sent a 15-point framework for peace to Iran, amid hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East.Oil prices had fallen by 4% in the early hours of Wednesday, with brent crude futures sinking below $100 a barrel and even moving as low as $97.57 as trading was influenced by the prospect of an end to the conflict easing the squeeze on oil supply. Continue reading...