Asian equity markets traded mostly higher on Friday after reports emerged that Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz, raising cautious hopes that the crucial waterway could partially reopen. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that tanker traffic through the strait “should be supervised and coordinated”…
Asian equity markets opened the final week of March with broad declines as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its fifth week without a ceasefire or a credible pathway to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The KOSPI led regional losses, tracking a Wall Street technology sell-off that reflected growing concern about the war’s economic impact….
The Trump administration’s decision to temporarily suspend enforcement of sanctions on Russian oil shipments to Asia, allowing 30 Russia-connected petroleum tankers carrying 19 million barrels to deliver cargoes through April 11, represents one of the most remarkable regulatory pivots in the history of U.S. energy sanctions policy. The same administration that escalated the conflict with…
The first trading week of 2026 sent a clear message to global investors who had been underweighting Asian equities: this region is not waiting for permission to rally. South Korea’s Kospi closed at a record 4,309.63 on January 2, climbing 2.27% in a single session. Samsung Electronics surged roughly 7% after reports that customers praised…
