Major stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region ended Monday’s opening session in the red, with investor sentiment rattled once again by rising oil prices. Brent crude climbed 2.56% to $106.99 per barrel on Monday morning, having already traded above the $107 mark during the session.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran subsequently indicated it would not soften its position.
“Investors were disappointed again by the lack of diplomatic progress,” said Rajeev De Mello, portfolio manager at Gama Asset Management, quoted by Bloomberg. “Expectations that these discussions would help defuse the Middle East conflict and pave the way for a reopening of Hormuz have faded,” he added.
“Asian markets are starting the week under pressure, given the rise in global oil prices,” said Kyle Rodda, analyst at Capital.com.
Against this backdrop, South Korea’s Kospi closed down 2.7%, dragged lower by the technology sector. SK Hynix, a manufacturer of memory chips for artificial intelligence systems, fell 5% after reports that the company could list its US subsidiary on the stock exchange, prompting investor concerns about a potentially more complex corporate structure.
In Japan, the Topix slipped 0.4%, while technology company Kioxia fell 4.4%. The Nikkei 225 declined 0.7%.
Sentiment in China was also negative. The CSI 300 index fell as much as 2.4% during the Monday session, following reports that Beijing may allow some local governments to purchase Nvidia chips, putting pressure on domestic Chinese semiconductor manufacturers. The index touched a one-year low during the session.
With trading still under way, the Shanghai Composite was down 1.66%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng bucked the regional trend, advancing 0.76%.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/28/mercados/mercados-mercados/bolsas-asiaticas-arrancam-semana-em-queda-petroleo-sobe-e-bate-os-107-dolares/
