Japan, South Korea Stocks Hit Records

Stock markets in Japan and South Korea reached fresh record highs on Monday, fueled by enthusiasm for the artificial intelligence boom and anticipation of a decision on the Iran war ceasefire extension. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 crossed 67,000, while Seoul's Kospi hit an all-time high, with technology-related stocks like SoftBank Group and Samsung Electronics seeing significant gains. South Korea's exports also surged, driven by global demand for semiconductors. Concurrently, oil prices for Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate rose over 2% as U.S.-Iran negotiations continued regarding a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed due to a U.S. sea blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. President Donald Trump met with advisers to discuss a 60-day ceasefire extension, but a deal remains unfinalized. Other Asian markets showed mixed performance, with China — Hong Kong's Hang Seng up and China's Shanghai Composite down due to softening factory activity. Wall Street also saw records, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite advancing, boosted by strong performances from Dell Technologies, Microsoft, and Broadcom.