📉 Mideast Mediation Eases Oil Prices as Asian Stocks Recover 📈

• Global Market Overview: Asian equities gained ground following three consecutive losing sessions, buoyed by diplomatic mediation efforts in the Middle East that cooled rising energy prices. MSCI's Asia-Pacific index outside Japan rose 0.25%, while Japan's Nikkei surged over 1% and South Korea's KOSPI jumped nearly 3%. • Commodities & Energy Outlook: Brent crude futures dropped 0.38% to US$ 88.88 per barrel after hitting a multi-week high of US$ 91.42. Easing prices came amid news of a proposed 10-day ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, despite ongoing geopolitical risks including threats of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis. • Technology & ICT Sector Impact: Investors remain cautious regarding the global ICT/BPM and semiconductor trade. Despite strong demand for AI hardware and infrastructure, lofty Q2 earnings expectations from tech giants like Alphabet and Intel are testing market valuations amidst broader macroeconomic headwinds like elevated interest rates. • Foreign Exchange & Monetary Indicators: The U.S. dollar held steady, with the Euro at US$ 1.14 and the Japanese Yen at 162.51. U.S. 2-year Treasury yields stood at 4.206%, with traders pricing in 33 basis points of Federal Reserve rate hikes this year.