Kospi, Nikkei225, Sensex, Hang Seng, Nifty 50
Didier Marti | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to to open higher Thursday, tracking Wall Street gains, as growing hopes that the Middle East conflict could end soon cooled oil prices.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran, according to a pool report, helping lift investor optimism.
Oil prices have seen a sharp rise as the Trump administration blockades Iranian ports, while the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy waterways, has been effectively closed by Tehran.
Investors will also focus on economic data coming out of the Asia-Pacific, particularly Japan’s trade data due later in the day.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was poised to gain, with the Chicago futures contract at 61,255 and its Osaka counterpart last trading at 61,300, compared with the index’s previous close of 59,804.41.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 25,761, higher than the index’s last close of 25,651.12.
In Australia, futures last traded at 8,633, while the S&P/ASX 200′s closed at 8,496.60.
West Texas Intermediate futures shed 5.66% to close at $98.26 per barrel on Wednesday, while Brent crude pulled back 5.63% to settle at $105.02 a barrel. WTI futures were 0.88% higher at $99.12 per barrel in Asia trading Thursday.
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