--- title: "Asian Equities, Oil Prices Mixed as Investors Parse Middle East Developments — Update" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/287590697.md" description: "Asian equity markets and oil prices showed mixed results as investors reacted to recent U.S. military actions in Iran. The Nikkei and Shanghai indices fell, while Thailand's SET index rose. Crude oil futures were also mixed, with WTI down 4.9% and Brent up 2.2%. Analysts noted ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and concerns over a potential U.S.-Iran deal, impacting market sentiment. The U.S. dollar fluctuated against Asian currencies amid these developments." datetime: "2026-05-26T06:34:12.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/287590697.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287590697.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/287590697.md) --- # Asian Equities, Oil Prices Mixed as Investors Parse Middle East Developments — Update By Ronnie Harui Asian equity markets and oil prices were mixed Tuesday as investors parsed developments in the Middle East. The U.S. attacked targets in southern Iran on Monday in what American military officials described as defensive strikes. The attack came amid ongoing talks between the two countries to end the conflict. The U.S. sank two boats that were laying mines belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior U.S. official said. Then, Iran started shooting surface-to-air missiles at U.S. warplanes, which led the U.S. to attack a missile launch site near Bandar Abbas, the official said. Progress toward a deal to end the U.S.-Iran conflict slowed Monday as both sides remained entrenched over references to Iran's nuclear program and financial relief for Tehran. Equity markets across the Asia-Pacific region were mixed. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.3% and China's Shanghai Composite was down 0.9%, while Thailand's benchmark SET index rose 0.4%. There are continued tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, analysts of CIMB's Treasury and Markets Research, said in a research report. These include "fresh U.S. strikes in southern Iran on the pretext of defensive action," which have kept investors wary, the analysts added. The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil is typically transported. "So we continue to go round and round," Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya said in an email. "It's frustrating because U.S. officials are playing with markets and the narrative the way a cat plays with a mouse, and there is very little investors can do about it," the senior analyst added. The South Korean stock market was Asia's standout outperformer as the benchmark Kospi index rose 2.8%, thanks to sharp gains for artificial-intelligence-related names. SK Hynix, a supplier of high bandwidth memory for AI-chip titan Nvidia, advanced 7.0%. Crude oil futures were also mixed. Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell 4.9% to $91.85 per barrel, while front-month Brent crude oil futures rose 2.2% to $98.27 a barrel, ICE data showed. Precious metals declined, with spot gold falling 0.8% to $4,530.70 per ounce and spot silver dropping 1.9% to $76.56 an ounce. In foreign exchange markets, Asian currencies consolidated in thin trade after holidays in the U.S. and the U.K. Risks to a potential U.S.-Iran deal remain elevated, two strategists of OCBC Group Research said in a note. "We think \[the dollar's\] downside will be constrained. The U.S. remains a relative growth outperformer, supported by the AI investment cycle," the strategists added. The U.S. dollar declined 0.4% to 1,505.83 Korean won, but edged 0.1% higher to 1.2775 Singapore dollars, while the Australian dollar was down 0.2% at US$0.7159. (END) Dow Jones Newswires May 26, 2026 02:25 ET (06:25 GMT) Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. ### Related Stocks - [OXY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/OXY.US.md) - [CRAK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CRAK.US.md) - [VDE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VDE.US.md) - [BNO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BNO.US.md) - [IXC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IXC.US.md) - [XOP.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XOP.US.md) - [IEO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IEO.US.md) - [THD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/THD.US.md) - [XES.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XES.US.md) - [NVDA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NVDA.US.md) - [ICE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ICE.US.md) - [O39.SG](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/O39.SG.md) - [NVD.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NVD.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [Oil prices rebound by more than $2 a barrel on prospect of tightening US crude supplies](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294128765.md) - [Oil prices slip as tankers continue to ply Middle East conflict zones](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294279249.md) - [Oil slightly trims gains but tensions remain high](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293491461.md) - [LIVE MARKETS-Oil climbs near six-week highs, but clouds gather near resistance](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293477410.md) - [Oil prices hover at six-week high as Middle East shipping risks escalate](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293555449.md)