Asia Markets
Update: US Equity Indexes Mixed as Media Speculation of Iran Peace Talks Sends Crude Oil, Treasury Yields Lower
(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes closed mixed as government bond yields and crude oil declined amid hopes of the resumption of Iran peace talks.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% to 51,947.25, and the S&P 500 edged up by less than 0.1% to 7,411.98. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6% to 24,975.82. Real estate, materials, and communication staples topped the gainers. All but one sector, technology, traded higher.President Donald Trump said the US and Iran remain in talks and that he believes Tehran is "getting more serious," CNN reported late Friday. Earlier in the day, Trump met with top advisers and Cabinet officials to discuss a potential escalation if negotiations are not fruitful, a source told CNN.Pakistan is exploring a path toward a resumption of stalled talks between the US and Iran over ending the war, following a push initiated by China, Reuters reported, citing sources, on Friday. Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week -- his second within the last 10 days, three Pakistani sources told the news agency. All three sources cautioned that obstacles to talks with the US remained high, per the news report.Tracking data showed two oil tankers sailing through the Gulf of Aden on Friday despite threats from the Iran-aligned Houthis, CNN reported. The Houthi attacks on two Saudi Arabian tankers in the Red Sea chokepoint on Thursday forced several other tankers to turn around and head north through the Suez Canal, potentially using a much longer route to reach Asia by sailing around Africa, Reuters reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.3% to $90.07 a barrel, and global benchmark North Sea Brent slumped 2.8% to $97.85 a barrel, retreating from a surge this week amid the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea targeting Saudi crude oil exports.The latest jump in oil prices is likely to be short-lived, a Dow Jones news report cited a Julius Baer note, referring to Brent crude surpassing the $100 mark Thursday for the first time since the US-Iran ceasefire agreement in June. Despite fresh attacks on tankers in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the renewed fighting appears to reflect efforts by the parties to strengthen their bargaining positions ahead of another round of negotiations, the news report cited the note.Most US Treasury yields fell as a decline in crude oil helped keep a lid on inflation worries. The 10-year declined two basis points to 4.68%, retreating from its highest seen in a year on Thursday. The two-year dropped 2.3 basis points to 4.34%, after yields hit fresh 52-week highs twice this week.In precious metal markets, gold futures edged up 0.1% to $4,055.1, and silver futures advanced 0.6% to $58.41.In company news, Digital Realty Trust (DLR) reported Q2 core funds from operations and operating revenue above market expectations late Thursday, and raised its 2026 core FFO and sales guidance. Shares surged nearly 11%, among the top gainers on the S&P 500.American Express (AXP) Q2 earnings topped market estimates, while revenue missed expectations. Shares dropped 4.3%, the steepest decliner on the Dow.In economic news, the July flash reading of manufacturing conditions from S&P Global slipped to 53.8 from 53.9 in June, compared with the 54.4 print expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.New-home sales rose to a 628,000 annual rate in June from an upwardly revised 618,000 rate in May, compared with the 607,000 rate expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Home sales were still down 5.6% from a year ago.
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