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2026-02-18 15:26:48
[Asian Stocks Rebound as US-Iran Talks Ease Supply Concerns] ⑴ Asian stocks rose on Wednesday despite lingering concerns about artificial intelligence. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4%, ending a three-day losing streak; Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.5%. Most markets in mainland China and Hong Kong were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. ⑵ Oil prices rebounded slightly after falling to a more than two-week low in the previous session as progress in US-Iran nuclear talks eased concerns about supply disruptions. Iran's foreign minister stated that the two sides had reached an understanding on the main "guiding principles" for resolving the long-standing nuclear dispute. Brent crude futures rose 0.2% to $67.60 per barrel. ⑶ The New Zealand dollar fell 0.8% after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept interest rates unchanged at 2.25% and indicated that policy may need to remain accommodative for some time to support economic recovery. The Australian dollar fell 0.2% to US$0.7069, while the Japanese yen rose slightly to 153.58. (4) Markets are awaiting the release of the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes later on Wednesday for signals on the path of interest rates. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose slightly to 4.0712%, while the dollar index held steady at 97.22. Gold rose 1% to $4,926 per ounce, and silver rose 2.15%.
