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S&P 500 futures fell 0.56% in Asian trade on Tuesday after Iran denied that negotiations with Washington had taken place, erasing much of the relief that had briefly followed President Donald Trump’s decision to delay strikes on Iran’s power grid. Reuters said the rebound in market optimism faded quickly as investors refocused on the war’s broader economic and energy implications.

The conflict continued into early Tuesday, with Reuters reporting fresh Iranian missile launches at Israel, while global markets remained under pressure from the ongoing energy shock. At the same time, Brent crude rose 3.6% to $103.58 a barrel, and U.S. crude climbed 4.12% to $91.76, reinforcing concern that a prolonged conflict could keep inflation risks elevated and weigh further on equities.

Source: Reuters.

Asian equities traded with a mixed tone as higher energy prices and the Fed’s hawkish hold continued to pressure regional sentiment. South Korea’s KOSPI was one of the few bright spots, trading around 5,800.61. In contrast, Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped to about 4,958.85, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed around 8,428.40. In India, GIFT Nifty futures were near 23,250, pointing to a firmer opening bias. Japanese cash markets were closed for the Vernal Equinox Day holiday. The updated picture suggests Korea is still benefiting from tech support, while much of the rest of the region remains cautious under the weight of oil volatility and tighter global policy expectations.

Source: Reuters; Yahoo Finance; Mint; JPX.

Jeff Bezos is in early discussions to raise $100 billion for a new investment vehicle focused on buying manufacturing companies and using AI to accelerate automation, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters. The fund is described as a manufacturing transformation vehicle targeting sectors such as chipmaking, defense, and aerospace. Its planned size would match SoftBank’s $100 billion Vision Fund, putting it among the largest pools of capital aimed at industrial transformation.

The initiative is linked to Project Prometheus, where Bezos has recently been named co-CEO. That startup is separately pursuing up to $6 billion in funding and is focused on AI models designed to understand and simulate the physical world. In the market, Amazon.com (AMZN) was trading around $208.76, showing little immediate reaction in the latest available pricing.

Source: Reuters; The Wall Street Journal; market data.

The latest available pricing still shows a weak tone across most major Asian markets as the oil spike and the Fed’s hawkish hold keep pressure on sentiment. South Korea’s KOSPI finished around 5,763.22, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 was near 53,169–53,780, and TOPIX around 3,613–3,651 in the latest readings. In China and Hong Kong, the Shanghai Composite was around 4,017, the CSI 300 was near 4,586, and the Hang Seng was around 25,542. Singapore’s Straits Times Index was near 4,965, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was around 8,498.

One notable contrast is India. The latest available GIFT Nifty futures were around 23,313, which actually points to a softer opening bias rather than a fresh rise. That means the broader regional picture remains risk-off, with higher oil prices and tighter U.S. policy expectations still weighing more heavily than local positives.

Source: Reuters; Japan Exchange Group; Yonhap; Trading Economics; Yahoo Finance.

Fresh announcements at Nvidia’s GTC 2026 conference helped lift risk appetite across Asian technology stocks, as investors reacted positively to new AI systems, partnerships, and next-generation computing products. In South Korea, the KOSPI was around 5,864, while Samsung Electronics traded near ₩197,100 and SK Hynix near ₩970,000. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was around 55,110, while the broader TOPIX stood near 3,662. The move was also helped by a pullback in oil, with Brent near $101 a barrel and U.S. crude around $93.17, easing some pressure on energy-importing Asian markets.

Source: Reuters; Investing.com; Trading Economics; MarketWatch.

Latest available market prices showed South Korea’s KOSPI around 5,700.18, while Samsung Electronics traded near 188,700 won after the AI-driven boost. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was around 53,936.44 and TOPIX near 3,642.29. In China, the Shanghai Composite was around 4,062, while the CSI 300 was near 4,660. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng stood around 25,834.02, Singapore’s Straits Times Index around 4,868.69, and India’s Nifty 50 near 23,380.75. The updated levels suggest the strongest follow-through remained in Korea, while the broader regional tone also stayed constructive.

Source: Reuters; Investing.com; Trading Economics.

Nvidia traded around $183.22 in the latest market data, after CEO Jensen Huang used the company’s GTC 2026 conference to unveil new AI systems and components, including fresh products tied to inference computing and its longer-term chip roadmap. The stock’s intraday range was $181.55 to $188.74, showing investors stayed highly engaged with the event-driven momentum.

The positive read-through also helped broader tech sentiment. Reports said Asian technology and semiconductor shares followed Wall Street’s lead higher after the GTC announcements, with South Korea’s market among the stronger performers.

Source: Reuters; market data.

Asian equities traded with a mixed tone as geopolitical risk, oil above $100, and Fed-week caution kept investors defensive. By the latest available levels, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was around 53,601, while the broader TOPIX stood near 3,621.88. In South Korea, the KOSPI was around 5,521, showing that the market had stabilized after earlier pressure. Singapore’s Straits Times Index was near 4,846.50, broadly flat, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was around 8,583.4, still under pressure. In India, Nifty 50 futures were slightly firmer near 23,216, pointing to a cautious but mildly positive open.

Source: Investing.com; Japan Exchange Group; Trading Economics; Market Index.

Shares of Hua Hong Semiconductor climbed after a Reuters report said parent group Hua Hong Group had made progress in 7-nanometre chip manufacturing, with Huali Microelectronics preparing the process at a plant in Shanghai. If commercialized, the development would make Hua Hong the second Chinese chipmaker after SMIC able to produce chips using 7nm technology, a key threshold for more advanced AI-related semiconductors.

In the market, Hua Hong Semiconductor (1347.HK) was trading around HK$89.25, up about 1.4%, while SMIC (0981.HK) was around HK$62.20. The move highlights how investors are reacting positively to signs that China’s domestic semiconductor sector is still advancing despite external technology restrictions.

Source: Reuters; MarketWatch; Bloomberg.

Asian equities continued to recover on Wednesday as easing oil prices helped stabilize sentiment after the early-week shock. The latest market snapshot showed Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising more than 2%, while the broader TOPIX gained 1.7%. In South Korea, the KOSPI jumped nearly 4%, extending the rebound after a gain of more than 5% in the previous session. The move suggests investors are cautiously rebuilding risk exposure as immediate fears over a prolonged energy shock ease.

Source: Investing.com.

Asian equities traded with a mixed tone in the latest session. China’s Shanghai Composite was flat, while the CSI 300 rose 0.5% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.3%. In the broader region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4%, but Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.3%. India’s Nifty 50 futures edged 0.1% higher, suggesting a slightly firmer open for Indian equities.

Source: Investing.com.

The latest market snapshot showed a firmer tone across much of Asia after the oil shock began to ease. China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.47%, the CSI 300 gained 1.16%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.80%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 1.09%, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index climbed 1.77%. India looked more mixed: the same market update said Nifty 50 futures were down 0.4% earlier in the session, even as the live Nifty 50 index quote shown alongside the report was up 0.77%.

Source: Investing.com.