Asian stock markets bleed as Trump calls for peace with Iran without Hormuz reopening
- Asian stock markets tumble amid fears of persistently higher oil prices.
- US President Trump is willing to end the war with Iran without the reopening of Hormuz.
- S&P 500 futures gain sharply as Trump’s readiness to end the war has improved the market mood.
Asian stock markets are significantly down in Tuesday’s trade as fears of oil prices remaining persistently higher are intact, even as hopes of an end to the month-long war in the Middle East have improved.
As of writing, Nikkei 225 is down almost 11% to near 51,410, Shanghai trades 0.16% lower to near 3,915, Hang Seng declines 0.4% at around 24,650.
Earlier in the day, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report showed that United States (US) President Donald Trump is willing to end the war with Iran despite the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, as Washington doesn’t intend to stretch the military mission beyond his timeline of four to six weeks. Trump said that he will pursue a diplomatic way to reopen waterways.
The continuation of the Hormuz closure points to oil prices remaining persistently higher, a scenario that limits the investment capability of countries, such as major Asian economies, which largely rely on oil imports to meet their energy needs.
At the start of the Middle East conflict, Tehran succeeded in achieving military dominance near the Strait of Hormuz, a passage to almost 20% of global energy supply, as part of retaliation against the US and Israel for killing their top leaders.
Meanwhile, major riskier assets, across the world, have seen buying interest. S&P 500 futures have gained 0.8% and risen to near 6,400. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, trades marginally down to near 100.45.
Asian stocks FAQs
Asia contributes around 70% of global economic growth and hosts several key stock market indices. Among the region’s developed economies, the Japanese Nikkei – which represents 225 companies on the Tokyo stock exchange – and the South Korean Kospi stand out. China has three important indices: the Hong Kong Hang Seng, the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite. As a big emerging economy, Indian equities are also catching the attention of investors, who increasingly invest in companies in the Sensex and Nifty indices.
Asia’s main economies are different, and each has specific sectors to pay attention to. Technology companies dominate in indices in Japan, South Korea, and increasingly, China. Financial services are leading stock markets such as Hong Kong or Singapore, considered key hubs for the sector. Manufacturing is also big in China and Japan, with a strong focus on automobile production or electronics. The growing middle class in countries like China and India is also giving more and more prominence to companies focused on retail and e-commerce.
Many different factors drive Asian stock market indices, but the main factor behind their performance is the aggregate results of the component companies revealed in their quarterly and annual earnings reports. The economic fundamentals of each country, as well as their central bank decisions or their government’s fiscal policies, are also important factors. More broadly, political stability, technological progress or the rule of law can also impact equity markets. The performance of US equity indices is also a factor as, more often than not, Asian markets take the lead from Wall Street stocks overnight. Finally, the broader risk sentiment in markets also plays a role as equities are considered a risky investment compared to other investment options such as fixed-income securities.
Investing in equities is risky by itself, but investing in Asian stocks comes along with region-specific risks to be taken into account. Asian countries have a wide range of political systems, from full democracies to dictatorships, so their political stability, transparency, rule of law or corporate governance requirements may diverge considerably. Geopolitical events such as trade disputes or territorial conflicts can lead to volatility in stock markets, as can natural disasters. Moreover, currency fluctuations can also have an impact on the valuation of Asian stock markets. This is particularly true in export-oriented economies, which tend to suffer from a stronger currency and benefit from a weaker one as their products become cheaper abroad.
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