Most global stock indices rose, and the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed by about $3 a barrel on Monday, as talks aimed at ending the trade war with Iran remained stalled.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index hit a new record high on Monday, following record closes for US stock indices last week.
This week is expected to see interest rate decisions from major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England.
Germany’s DAX index rose 0.3 percent to 24,193 points in early European trading, while France’s CAC 40 index gained 0.1 percent to 8,165 points.
Conversely, Britain’s FTSE 100 index slipped 0.1 percent to 10,374 points.
S&P 500 futures fell 0.1 percent, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures declined 0.2 percent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4 percent to 60,537 points, a record high.
South Korea’s Kospi index climbed 2 percent to 6,615 points.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.1 percent to 25,964 points, while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.2 percent to 4,086 points.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.2 percent.
Taiwan’s Taiex index jumped 1.8 percent, boosted by renewed buying interest in technology stocks amid the artificial intelligence boom, and India’s Sensex index gained 0.8 percent. Wall Street closed mixed on Friday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.8% to a record high of 7,165.8 points.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2% to 49,230.71 points, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.6% to a new record high, boosted by strong gains in the technology sector, to close at 24,836.60 points.
A fragile ceasefire remains in place, but tensions between the United States and Iran are disrupting oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, hindering crude oil shipments from the Gulf to customers worldwide.
In currency markets, the US dollar weakened against the Japanese yen, falling to 159.24 yen from 159.59 yen, while the euro strengthened to $1.1741 from $1.1701.
