South Korea’s Kospi reached a record high, while the broader Asia-Pacific markets exhibited mixed performance. This occurred against a backdrop of optimism regarding a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict, despite ongoing tensions between Iran and the U.S. “Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table— in his own imagination— into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” stated Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a post on X. “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” stated Ghalibaf.

This follows President Donald Trump’s statement on Monday that “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if a deal is not reached before the precarious ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening, as he threatens Iran with significant military action. The threats arise concurrently with a U.S. delegation’s preparations to revisit Pakistan for a possible second round of peace negotiations. Investors maintain an optimistic outlook on the overall trajectory for equities. Ohsung Kwon articulated his insights during on Monday afternoon. “I believe the economy will perform adequately over the next quarter.” Oil futures reduced their losses. West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery experienced a decline of 0.55%, trading at $89.12 per barrel as of 3:29 am. Brent crude futures for June delivery experienced a decline of 0.39%, settling at $95.11 per barrel.

South Korea’s Kospi concluded Tuesday’s trading at an unprecedented level, rising 2.72% to 6,388.47, bolstered by advancements in technology shares. The prominent player Samsung Electronics experienced an increase of 2.1%, whereas the semiconductor producer SK Hynix saw a rise of 4.97%. The small-cap Kosdaq index experienced an increase of 0.36%, reaching a level of 1,179.03. Hybe, the parent company of South Korean boyband BTS, experienced a decline of 2.35% in its shares, following reports that law enforcement is pursuing a detention warrant for its founder Bang Si-hyuk. This development arises from allegations that he misled early investors prior to the company’s 2020 initial public offering. Japan’s Nikkei 225 experienced an increase of 0.89%, reaching 59,349.17, whereas the Topix saw a decline of 0.18%, settling at 3,770.38. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 exhibited no significant movement, remaining at 8,949.40.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 index was trading 0.22% higher at 4,768, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 0.35% in its final hour of trading. Victory Giant, a supplier of printed circuit boards for Nvidia, made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, experiencing a 60% increase after securing approximately HK$20.1 billion in the largest IPO in the city since Zijin Gold last September. S&P 500 futures increased by 0.12%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose by 0.23%. Futures associated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 70 points, representing a rise of 0.11%. Overnight, the S&P 500 experienced a decrease of 0.24%, closing at 7,109.14, while the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.26%, finishing at 24,404.39. This decline marked the end of the Nasdaq’s 13-day winning streak, its longest positive run since 1992. The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a decline of 4.87 points, equivalent to 0.01%, concluding at 49,442.56.