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Informist, Tuesday, May 12, 2026                                      Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

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Equity Alert: Asian indices mixed as US-Iran talks sour, crude oil rises

 

MUMBAI--0810 IST--Stock indices in Asia were mixed as market participants assessed the impact of worsening tensions between the US and Iran. US President Donald Trump said the truce with Iran was "unbelievably weak" and that it was on "life support." China's CSI 300, Australia's S&P ASX 200, and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices oscillated between gains and losses, while the KOSPI was in the red. South Korea's benchmark index underperformed its Asian peers by a wide margin, falling more than 3% in early trade. 

 

"I would call it the weakest, right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us," Trump said. "I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says: ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living," he added. Brent Crude oil futures were higher at nearly $105 per barrel.

 

In macroeconomic news, the Bank of Japan, in its recent summary of opinions, said that it may have to raise rates "in response to developments in economic activity and prices as well as financial conditions. While the economy is expected to grow moderately, inflation is likely to increase gradually, the Bank of Japan said. Risks to inflation will be higher if the war in West Asia stretches on for longer. Further, the Bank of Japan warned that corporate profits and household incomes will also take a hit if crude oil prices remain elevated for a longer period. 

 

In Australia, a National Australia Bank survey revealed that business confidence improved only marginally to (-)24 in April from (-)29 in March. The marginal uptick was driven by partial recoveries in retail, construction, recreation, and personal services, the survey said, while noting that confidence across industries and regions remains negative. "Rising prices and pressure on margins are beginning to affect activity and investment measures," the survey said.

 

The following were the levels of major Asian indices at 0807 IST:

 

Index	Level	Change in %
CSI 300 Index	4952.4221	0.01
Hang Seng Index	26488.45	0.31
Nikkei 225 Day	62619.37	0.32
TOPIX FIRST SECTION	3860.94	0.52
KOSPI	7708.38	(-)1.46
FTSE Singapore Strait Times	4944.40	0.03
S&P/ASX 200 Index	8665.10	(-)0.42

 

(Ruchira Kagita)

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Equity Alert: US indices end on positive note, earnings momentum helps

 

MUMBAI--0730 IST--Indices on Wall Street closed in the green even as sentiment was weak due to worsened peace talks between the US and Iran. US President Donald Trump said ceasefire talks with Iran were "unbelievably weak" after earlier calling Iran's proposal for peace unacceptable. Brent Crude oil futures hovered near $105 per barrel. Strong earnings kept market participants positive. 

 

"If we get weakness after this really strong recovery from the March lows, I would see it as a buying opportunity, because this is a market that is being fueled by corporate profits, by capex, and frankly by a strong labor market,"  Marci McGregor, head of portfolio strategy, chief investment office, at Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, told CNBC. As of Friday, analysts estimated the earnings growth of S&P 500 stocks for the quarter ended March at 28.6% on year, Reuters reported.

 

Technology majors continued to gain Monday. From the NASDAQ Composite, Micro Technology closed over 6% higher. Shares of Nvidia Corp., Tesla, and Intel Corp. gained 2-4%. In the S&P 500, six of the 11 sectors ended higher. The S&P 500 Energy index eked out the most gains compared with its peers, and the index closed 2.6% higher. On the flip side, the S&P Communication Services fell 2.63%. Among others, some airline stocks were under pressure. Shares of Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Air, and United Airlines fell 3.0-4.4%.

 

The following were the closing levels of major US indices on Monday:

 

US Indices	Levels	Change in %
Dow Jones Industrial Average	49704.47	0.19
NASDAQ Composite	26274.125	0.10
S&P 500	7412.84	0.19

 

(Ruchira Kagita)

 

US$1 = INR 95.31

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

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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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