A mood of caution prevailed across global markets as the trading week got under way, with investors closely monitoring developments in US–Iran talks. The mood produced mixed equity performance and a marked decline in oil prices, while gains driven by technology shares emerged in Asia.
On Wall Street, major indices opened the previous session with limited movement. The Dow Jones held steady, edging up a marginal 0.02%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each slipped fractionally, as investors shied away from risk following the long weekend and awaited the outcome of political negotiations.
In Europe, markets also moved within a narrow range. The Stoxx 600 rose slightly, supported by technology shares that benefited from a global rally in the semiconductors sector, while results from defence and food companies weighed on some individual stocks.
Asian markets posted relatively stronger performance, led by Japan, where the Nikkei extended its advance to set new record highs above 72,000 points, driven by artificial intelligence and electronic chip stocks as well as government plans to boost investment in strategic sectors through 2040.