Japanese Stocks Up Marginally on Friday's Opening Session Ahead of US-Iran Talks
Japanese shares moved higher at the start of Friday's trading session, although investor sentiment remained guarded due to an unstable ceasefire in the Middle East just before scheduled US-Iran negotiations over the weekend.The Nikkei 225 rose 0.7%, or 370.5 points, to 56,265.77 at the opening bell.Crude oil prices saw a roughly 1% increase, climbing to just under $97 per barrel, following President Donald Trump's warning to Iran about fees imposed on vessels transiting the strategically critical but largely closed Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to engage in direct talks with Lebanon, primarily aimed at disarming Hezbollah, which is aligned with Tehran, according to various reports.In economic data, the U.S. recorded a slower expansion in the last quarter of 2025 than earlier estimated, while the Asian Development Bank warned that even with stable oil prices, the Middle East conflict's ripple effects across manufacturing and tourism would likely slow Asia's economic growth.The ADB projects that advanced economies in Asia and the Pacific will see growth ease from 2.5% last year to 2.2% in 2026, driven by deceleration in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, with inflation in developing Asia expected to accelerate to 3.6% this year from 3% in 2025, primarily due to higher energy costs.