--- title: "GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks rise despite lingering AI worries, oil down after US-Iran talks" description: "Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 up 0.93% and Australia's S&P/ASX200 up 0.5%, despite ongoing concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on markets. Oil prices remained und" type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/276189524.md" published_at: "2026-02-18T01:58:11.000Z" --- # GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks rise despite lingering AI worries, oil down after US-Iran talks > Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 up 0.93% and Australia's S&P/ASX200 up 0.5%, despite ongoing concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on markets. Oil prices remained under pressure following positive developments in US-Iran nuclear talks, easing supply disruption fears. The New Zealand dollar fell after the central bank indicated low rates would persist. Gold and silver prices dipped due to a stronger US dollar, while investors awaited insights from the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes. Japanese, Australian equities rise with many markets closed for holidays Iran signals progress in talks with US, allaying supply disruption worries NZ dollar slides after central bank says rates to stay low ‘for some time’ By Scott Murdoch SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Asian stocks pushed higher on Wednesday despite the renewed artificial intelligence worries gripping international markets, while oil prices were under pressure after Iran touted progress in nuclear negotiations with the United States. The New Zealand dollar sank after the central bank said monetary policy needs to remain accommodative for some time to support the economic recovery. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index (.N225) rose 0.93% to 57,090.14, poised to snap a three-day skid, while Australia’s S&P/ASX200 (.AXJO) was up 0.5%. Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korean were among markets closed for Lunar New Year holidays. The positive start in Asia followed a lacklustre session on Tuesday on Wall Street as investors grappled with the outlook for the AI boom. Concerns that companies are over-investing, along with angst about the extent to which the nascent technology could disrupt labor markets, have fuelled investor jitters in recent weeks. In the U.S. overnight, The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 0.07% to 49,533.19, the S&P 500 (.SPX) was up 0.10% at 6,843.22 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) gained 0.14% to 22,578.38. The S&P 500 fell 0.88% initially before making up ground to close in positive territory. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes (US10YT=RR) was flat at 4.054% on Wednesday. The 30-year bond (US30YT=RR) yield fell 0.4 basis points to 4.6788%. “AI uncertainty remains a source of volatility, both in terms of the difficulty in assessing which AI companies will be the winners and losers but also what sort of impact will AI have in other companies and sectors of the economy,” NAB analysts said. Brent (LCOc1) and West Texas Intermediate (CLc1) crude oil futures were little changed on Wednesday at $67.42 and $62.32 per barrel, respectively, after both slid to close at more than two-week lows in the previous session. Following talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran and Washington reached an understanding on main “guiding principles” towards resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute, easing worries about a military conflict near the Strait of Hormuz that could disrupt global oil supply. Gold (XAU=) was 0.2% weaker to around $4,867 per ounce and silver (XAG=) was down by around the same margin to around $73.30 per ounce. “Gold prices dipped as a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on the market, with declining U.S. Treasury yields providing little support,” ANZ analysts said. “Investors remained uncertain amid subdued trading in Asia. Prospects of easing geopolitical tension with positive outcomes from the Iran-US talks in Geneva weighed on haven demand for gold.” The U.S. dollar index (=USD) , which measures the greenback against a basket of major peers, was flat in Asia hours at 97.12. The traditional safe-haven currency held its ground as geopolitical risks kept markets on edge and investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting, due later on Wednesday, for signals on the path for interest rates. The euro (EUR=) edged down 0.1% to $1.1844, while sterling (GBP=) stabilised at $1.3563 following a 0.5% slide in the previous session. The New Zealand dollar (NZD=) slid 0.6% to $0.6014. The Aussie (AUD=) eased 0.2% to $0.7075. The yen (JPY=) firmed 0.1% to 153.12 per dollar. Japan’s annual bond issuance will likely surge 28% three years from now due to rising debt-financing costs, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a finance ministry estimate. Japan would need to issue up to 38 trillion yen ($248.3 billion) worth of bonds in the fiscal year starting in April 2029 to fill a hole from expenditures surpassing tax revenues, up from 29.6 trillion yen in fiscal 2026, the report said. ### Related Stocks - [ASX.AU - ASX Limited](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ASX.AU.md) - [STW.AU - State Street Corp.](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/STW.AU.md) - [YCS.US - Pro Ultrshrt Yen](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/YCS.US.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | Australia's ASX sees 2026 costs soar amid CEO exit, regulatory probe  | Australia's ASX Ltd has warned of a significant increase in expenses for 2026, projecting a rise of 20%-23% due to syste | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275679097.md) | | A Look At Technology One (ASX:TNE) Valuation After ASX Tech Sector Sell Off And Technical Downtrend | Technology One (ASX:TNE) faces pressure following a sell-off in the ASX IT sector, with its share price at A$21.30, refl | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276075545.md) | | Top alert-Geneva- Iran's foreign minister: We've reached an understanding on main principles with the U.S. | Top alert-Geneva- Iran's foreign minister: We've reached an understanding on main principles with the U.S. | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276132904.md) | | US military preparing for possibility of carrying out sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran, if required, two US officials tell Reuters | US military preparing for possibility of carrying out sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran, if required, two US | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275955322.md) | | Iran says it will offer detailed nuclear proposals within 2 weeks, U.S. official says | WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Iran said it would make detailed proposals in the next two weeks to close gaps in nuclear | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276146996.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.