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Oil and Middle East tensions weigh on global stocks ahead of India open

Asian shares fell, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 4.2% and MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan slipping as investors tracked crude oil strength and renewed US-Iran strikes.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

Ahead of the Indian market open, global equity conditions looked weak, with a cautious bias expected for Friday trading as investors weighed renewed US-Iran airstrikes and elevated crude oil prices, according to LiveMint Markets. The outlet cited ongoing Middle East tensions as a key driver of market caution, particularly through concerns about potential energy supply disruptions via the Strait of Hormuz.

Trading signals for India pointed to a flat start, with Gift Nifty around 24,097, near 1 point higher than the Nifty futures’ prior close. LiveMint Markets also highlighted continued weakness in the rupee alongside the sustained strength in crude as headwinds for domestic sentiment.

Across Asia, markets were broadly lower, with MSCI’s Asia-Pacific shares ex-Japan index down 0.1%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 4.2%. The Topix was down 2.6%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.6%, and mainland China’s CSI 300 slid 2.6%, while South Korea markets were closed for a holiday.

The decline in regional markets followed an extended sell-off in global semiconductor names, LiveMint Markets reported, linking the pressure to renewed questions over whether AI-related capital spending will convert into near-term earnings. In the US, the Dow edged down 0.2% to 52,553.3, the S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 7,533.8, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.5% to 25,882.0, with sentiment dented after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company shares fell despite better-than-expected second-quarter results.

Latest closeWTI crude $79.00 ▼0.8%|S&P 500 7,533.77 ▼0.5%|Nasdaq Comp. 25,881.95 ▼1.5%

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