Asia equities react
Asia’s risk trade flipped quickly — Hang Seng and other regional indices bounced as investors priced de‑escalation and rotated into perceived safe havens and energy exposures. ( )
On March 25 Asian bourses jumped after reports the U.S. sent Iran a 15‑point plan: Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose nearly 3%, South Korea’s KOSPI climbed about 1.7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up ~0.2% as Brent crude slipped below $100, down more than 6%. (investing.com) Hong Kong’s index has been especially volatile: the Hang Seng surged 2.8% on March 24 on initial hopes of a US‑Iran diplomatic path and then logged a second day of gains on March 26 as investors cheered falling crude and peace‑talk signals. (scmp.com) When the Gulf conflict flared earlier this month, Asian energy names outperformed and gold spiked — Woodside and Inpex rallied as much as about 5% while China National Offshore Oil Corp. rose over 3% and gold futures jumped roughly 2.4% during escalation episodes. (cnbc.com) The quick flip in sentiment accompanied heavy repositioning: Bloomberg estimates global investors have sold roughly $52 billion of Asian emerging‑market equities (ex‑China) since the Iran war began, driving dramatic sector and regional flows. (bloomberg.com) Market structure also reflects a broader 2026 rotation into value and energy: Morningstar and market trackers show energy and industrials leading the year‑to‑date sector performance as investors shift away from high‑multiple tech names. (morningstar.com) Oil’s swings remained the key driver — Brent fell below $100 on March 25 after earlier spikes, but by March 30 oil was tracking its biggest monthly rise in decades as markets priced continued supply risk, keeping Asian equities sensitive to each headline. (investing.com)
