Asian stock markets and U.S. stock index futures rose, boosted by optimism over a potential peace agreement in the U.S.-Iran talks.
The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index rose 0.5%, poised to rebound from last week’s decline, driven by expectations of developments in the Middle East and a renewed surge in artificial intelligence-related trading. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 2%, with SoftBank Group’s shares surging 11%, boosted by gains in Arm Holdings Plc. U.S. stock futures also climbed, with Nasdaq 100 index futures rising as much as 0.5%.
Iran said the latest U.S. proposal has partially narrowed the gap between the warring parties, but remarks by Iran’s supreme leader about maintaining Tehran’s uranium stockpile and the dispute over Strait of Hormuz transit fees have cast a shadow over prospects for a breakthrough.
Iran is discussing with Oman the establishment of some form of permanent toll system to formally assert its control over maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States hopes the strait remains open and free of any tolls.
According to the Financial Times, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there are “some positive signs” indicating a high likelihood of reaching an agreement with Iran, adding that he expects a Pakistani mediator to travel to Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that they would “never back down” in negotiations.
Technical Analysis:
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Gold: After dipping below the yellow zone we highlighted yesterday, prices strongly rebounded back above 4550. Currently, prices are retracing to the overnight breakout point, which may halt the decline and stabilize, but we do not intend to participate at this level. Our focus today is on re-establishing a buying opportunity once prices reclaim 4550. For detailed levels, please consult the plugin.
(Gold 15-minute chart)
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Nasdaq: Yesterday, our plugin triggered a buy stop alert following the breakout of the blue zone. Although there was some noise, the latter part of the move still achieved a valid breakout. For today, we are adopting a relatively conservative approach—waiting for a retest near 29,000 to confirm liquidity before considering entry signals, and avoiding chasing higher prices for now. For detailed positioning, please consult the plugin.
(NASDAQ 15-minute chart)
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Crude oil: After sweeping through the yellow zone indicated by our plugin alert, prices faced resistance and declined. They broke below 100.35, then rebounded to retest the blue zone, where they were met with resistance again. For today, we will continue monitoring the price action following a potential breakout downward. For detailed levels, please refer to the plugin.
(Crude Oil 15-minute Chart)
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Today’s key financial data and events to watch:
20:30 U.S. May New York Fed Manufacturing Index
21:15 U.S. Industrial Production Month-on-Month for April
