Asian markets opened on a strong note on Monday, 15 June, with South Korea's Kospi emerging as the top performer, surging more than 5.54% in early trade, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 2.34%. Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 5%, and the broader Topix index climbed 2.43%, as reported by Mint. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 also traded higher, rising 1.49%. The surge came after US President Donald Trump announced that a deal had been finalized to bring an end to the conflict between the United States and Iran. In a social media post late Sunday, Trump stated that the agreement with Iran was "now complete," while Shehbaz Sharif said that an official signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday. The peace deal removes a major overhang for global markets after months of fighting triggered the biggest disruption to oil supply in history and stoked inflation concerns around the globe.
South Korea's Kospi index gained over 3% to hit a fresh record high of 9,339.3, marking another milestone in the ongoing rally. As reported by CNBC TV18, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index was up 0.1%, heading for a sixth straight day of gains, demonstrating sustained momentum across regional markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 was up nearly 1%, while markets in the US, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan remained closed for holidays. The continued strength in South Korean markets reflects investor confidence in the peace deal's impact on regional economic stability and trade flows. South Korean stocks remained in focus after heavyweight technology shares continued their rally, with shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix climbing to fresh all-time highs, helping the benchmark Kospi extend its run of record closes.
Oil prices fell sharply following the announcement of the US-Iran peace deal, with Brent crude declining towards $79 per barrel. As reported by CNBC TV18, prices have tumbled by more than 9% this week as the US-Iran interim peace deal saw shipping through the Strait of Hormuz start to return to normal, easing the global crude market's biggest ever supply shock. Earlier Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that "oil is flowing," while US Vice President JD Vance downplayed concerns Iran could eventually impose tolls on traffic through the vital energy waterway. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of equities has risen more than 7% since the war began, though technology has been the only sector posting gains, as other industry groups have declined.
US stock futures moved higher, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 342 points, or 0.7%, S&P 500 futures advancing 0.9%, and Nasdaq 100 futures surging 1.4%. Meanwhile, the US dollar dropped to its lowest level in 10 days against its major counterparts on Monday, as the announcement of a US-Iran peace agreement dampened demand for the safe-haven currency. Treasuries rose across the curve on Monday as a decline in crude prices prompted traders to pare back expectations of Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes, with Treasury two-year yields falling six basis points to 4.02% and benchmark 10-year notes dropping five basis points to 4.43%. The rebound came a day after the Federal Reserve unsettled markets by signalling that another interest-rate increase this year remained possible, with the S&P 500 rising 1.08% to close at 7,500.58, the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.91% to 26,517.93, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 72.15 points to finish at 51,564.70.
Investors were evaluating whether the US-brokered agreement between Washington and Tehran would hold over time after senior officials from both sides stressed that the deal remained conditional. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said any economic benefits for Iran would hinge on the country's adherence to the terms of the agreement, while Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, also characterised the arrangement as contingent on certain commitments. He said on Thursday that he approved the memorandum only after receiving assurances that Iran's rights and the "resistance front" would be protected. With questions lingering over the trajectory of U.S. monetary policy and the implementation of the Iran agreement, investors remained focused on whether geopolitical stability and economic resilience can continue to support risk appetite across global markets.
