Equity Alert
Asia markets mixed; investors await detail of US sanctions on Iran
This story was originally published at 09:03 IST on 24 August 2026
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Equity Alert: Asian mkts open mixed; investors await US sanctions on Iran
MUMBAI--0823 IST--Major Asian indices were mixed at open as details of US sanctions on Iran are expected later in the session and rising bond yields globally are expected to put pressure on markets in the region. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index was the worst performer among its peers and was down nearly 3%, dragged down by a fall of more than 7% in heavyweight constituent Samsung Electronics.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was down nearly 2% and China's CSI 300 Index was down nearly 1%. Hang Seng Index heavyweights Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group were down nearly 4% and over 8%, respectively, and weighed on the index. Stocks in the region are feeling the heat from rising bond yields globally after the yield on the 30-year US treasury bond topped 5.3% Friday, crossing levels not seen in around 20 years, according to a CNBC report. Yields in France, Japan, and Germany have also risen to multi-year highs.
Investor sentiment in the region worsened, with participants keenly awaiting details of US sanctions against Iran due to be announced later in the day, CNBC said in its report. Consequently, crude oil prices remained higher, fuelling concerns about a rise in inflation. Efforts to stabilise the long-term bond yield by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were short-lived, according to CNBC. "I argue that the Treasury's surprise decision to upsize tactical long-end buybacks is effectively a Treasury-led 'Operation Twist' designed to counter shifts in shorter term market conditions, rather than a form of QE (quantitative easing)," David Zervos, chief market strategist at Jefferies, told CNBC.
Following are the levels of major Asian indices at 0800 IST:
|
Index |
Level |
Change in % |
|
Nikkei 225 Day |
65968.71 | (-)0.1 |
|
TOPIX FIRST SECTION |
4078.40 | 0.27 |
|
S&P/ASX 200 Index |
9119.40 | 0.7 |
|
KOSPI Index |
6725.85 | (-)2.7 |
|
Hang Seng Index |
25519.50 | (-)1.9 |
|
CSI 300 Index |
4586.63 | (-)0.7 |
|
FTSE Singapore Strait Times |
5694.48 | 0.1 |
(Vidhi Thacker)
Equity Alert: Market seen rangebound, West Asia war may dampen sentiment
MUMBAI--0802 IST--Indices are expected to move in a range Monday with US threats of fresh economic sanctions against Iran to weigh down on sentiment. The possibility of a ceasefire agreement between both the parties faded with the economic sanctions. The crude oil prices were around $93 per barrel.
"We are now entering the endgame," said US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, in a post on X. Bessent wrote President Donald Trump has dismantled Iran's military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100% of its military factories, and buried its nuclear programme. He said the D-Day has began, terming it as "the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary." Bessent said Trump has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority, and action many assumed US would never summon. "Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," Bessent said in the post.
"The overall chart structure remains sideways as long as the index trades within the 23600–24700 spot zone," Vipin Kumar, assistant vice-president of research at Globe Capital Market, said. Kumar added, a lack of fresh domestic triggers points towards further consolidation in the immediate near term. He said a move above 24300 could lead it towards 24450, and a fall below 24180 could drag it back to 24000.
Asian indices moved on a mixed note Monday with South Korea's Kospi being the major laggard in the region. The tech-heavy index was down over 2%. China's Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 were down over 2% and nearly 1%, respectively. The Wall Street indices ended higher Friday, with the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 up 0.4% higher each. Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up nearly 1%. (Adhithya Aji)
Equity Alert: US indices close higher Fri but fall weekly as bond ylds gain
MUMBAI--0743 IST--US indices closed higher on Friday but were down on a weekly basis, after fluctuations in government bond yields and lack of clarity on the US-Iran war made investors jittery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average outperformed its peers and ended nearly 1% higher, supported by gains in healthcare stocks. The broader S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closed 0.4% higher each.
The financial sector boosted the performance in the broader market as the weekly rise in Bitcoin helped drive gains in crypto-related stocks. Shares of Robinhood and Coinbase were up nearly 14% and 8%, respectively. Materials sector also outperformed and was up 2%, according to the report by CNBC. On a weekly basis, the S&P 500 index was down 1.4%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq shed around 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1% over the week.
Friday, the major indices partially recovered from their losses on Thursday as bond yields resumed their climb. Long-term bonds have particularly been under pressure as inflation fears rose amid rising oil prices, according to CNBC. The yield on the 10-year US treasury note rose more than 3 basis points to 4.734% and the 30-year treasury bond yield gained more than 3 bps to 5.273%.
Equities could see even more losses if treasury bond yields continue to rise and the West Asia war persists, Leo Kelly, founder and chief executive officer of Verdence Capital Advisors told CNBC. On the 10-year yield, the market has adjusted to 4–5%, but if it went to 6-7%, the market would respond to that poorly, he added.
Following are the closing levels of major US indices on Friday:
|
Index |
Level |
Change in % |
|
Dow Jones Industrial Average |
53277.01 | 1 |
|
NASDAQ Composite |
26180.455 | 0.4 |
|
S&P 500 |
7674.37 | 0.4 |
(Vidhi Thacker)
US$1 = INR 95.64
Edited by Shubhayan Bhattacharya
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.
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