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Informist, Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

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Equity Alert:  Most Asian indices open higher; Kospi leads the gains

 

MUMBAI--0812 IST--Most major Asian indices opened higher Wednesday, tracking gains in US stocks and treasuries, even as the tensions escalate in the US-Iran war. The pan-Asian MSCI Asia Pacific rose 0.8%, setting it on track for a third consecutive session of gains, Bloomberg reported. On Tuesday, major US indices ended higher, suggesting that market participants remain cautiously optimistic of the developments in West Asia and their impact on crude oil prices.

 

South Korea's Kospi led the gains during early trade, rising nearly 4%. Heavyweight tech major Samsung Electronics rose over 5% while SK Hynix was up nearly 4%. Japan's Nikkei 225 and Topix were up around 2?ch after the country reported a 4.2% on-year increase in its exports in February, surpasssing the estimate of a 1.6% increase by economists polled by Reuters, CNBC reported. Chip making companies traded on a positive note during early trade. Shares of Advantest and Tokyo Electron rose over 5% and 3%, respectively. Further, Japan's central bank is expected to hold short-term interest rates steady at 0.75% at the end of its two-day policy meeting Thursday, according to Reuters.

 

Investors will also keep an eye on the US Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting ending Wednesday, where the regulator is expected to maintain interest rates in the range of 3.50–3.75%.

 

Following were the levels of major Asian indices at 0802 IST:

 

Index	Level	Change in %
CSI 300 Index	4625.39	(-)0.26
Hang Seng Index	25864.52	(-)0.02
Nikkei 225 Day	54898.44	2.23
TOPIX FIRST SECTION	3697.67	1.95
KOSPI	5838.66	3.51
FTSE Singapore Strait Times	4970.77	0.71
S&P/ASX 200 Index	8635.30	0.24

 

(Shruti Nair)

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Equity Alert: US indices end higher for 2nd straight day; energy cos gain

 

MUMBAI--0739 IST--US equity indices ended higher for the second consecutive day even as developments in the US-Iran war cast a cloud on investor sentiment. Crude oil prices climbed over 3% Tuesday after a brief respite on Monday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended 0.5% higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.1% higher. The broad-market S&P 500 ended 0.3% higher. 

 

In the S&P 500, energy stocks fared the best, climbing roughly 2%, CNBC reported. An increase of 1% in consumer discretionary stocks also supported the index, according to a CNBC report. Shares of MGM Resorts, Booking Holdings, and Expedia ended over 2-4% higher. The rise in these stocks came after American Airlines and Delta Airlines raised their forward guidance for the ongoing quarter.

 

Crude oil prices remain a key concern for investors amid the ongoing escalation in the US-Iran war. Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed that Iran's security chief Ali Larijani had died in air strikes carried out by Israeli armed forces. The Strait of Hormuz remains shut amid mixed messages coming from the White House regarding the possibility of escorting vessels through the key shipping route. On Monday, crude oil prices briefly dipped following reports that a US-led coalition of countries will facilitate shipping through the Strait, CNBC reported. 

 

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social platform that the US did not need North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to execute its plans in the Strait. This comes after several world leaders refused to directly engage in US activities in the Iranian strait. After Trump's post, stocks came off their highs and oil prices climbed once again, indicating that investors would have preferred a coalition, CNBC reported.

 

Investors are also pricing in the almost-certain possibility that the US Federal Reserve will not announce any rate cuts following its policy meeting ending Wednesday. Most market participants expect the rates to be steady in the 3.50–3.75% range, according to the data available on the CME's FedWatch tool. The war in Iran, fears of a spike in inflation, and mixed signals from the job market will be among the key talking points, CNBC reported.

 

Following are the closing levels of US indices Tuesday:

 

Index	Level	Change in %
S&P 500	6716.09	0.25
NASDAQ Composite	22479.53	0.47
Dow Jones Industrial Average	46993.26	0.10

 

(Shruti Nair)

 

US$1 = INR 92.37

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.

All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.

All times are Indian Standard Time.

 

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