Global markets closed mixed on Friday, reacting to geopolitical developments and corporate news. Asia-Pacific indices largely fell, with South Korea’s Kospi dropping and Samsung Electronics declining, while SK Hynix surged to a record high on AI chip demand. Indian IT stocks plunged after Accenture lowered its revenue outlook, and the Japanese yen slid past 161 against the dollar, nearing a 40-year low and reigniting intervention fears.
Global financial markets experienced a day of mixed fortunes and heightened uncertainty on Friday, as investors scrutinized the durability of a U.S.-brokered peace agreement with Iran and reacted to a host of economic data and corporate news. While some major Asian indices closed lower, others managed slight gains, underscoring a cautious sentiment across regions.
Two men look at an electronic quotation board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on June 12, 2026.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets largely softened, influenced by the ongoing assessment of the U.S.-Iran interim peace deal. U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that any economic relief for Tehran is strictly conditional on compliance, a stance echoed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. This geopolitical development contributed to the day's cautious trading.
Japan's Nikkei 225 saw a modest rise of 0.28% to 71,250.06, building on a record high from Thursday, but the broader Topix declined 0.57%. South Korea's Kospi pulled back from its recent record, dropping 0.13% to 9,052.42, and the small-cap Kosdaq tumbled 3.43%. Shares of tech giants showed divergence: Samsung Electronics fell 2.34% after initial gains, while SK Hynix surged an impressive 2.94% (and over 7% earlier) to a new record, fueled by strong demand for its 12-layer HBM4E chips for AI systems.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 ended down 0.92%. Markets in the U.S., China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were closed for holidays, though U.S. stock futures indicated a lower open. This followed a positive close for U.S. stocks overnight, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all rising after the Federal Fed indicated a possible rate hike later in the year.
Across the Atlantic, Europe's Stoxx 600 opened lower by nearly 0.1%, with regional sectors mixed. Oil and gas stocks saw gains, while major bourses like Italy's FTSE MIB, France's CAC 40, and Germany's DAX opened higher, contrasting with the UK's FTSE 100 which dipped. Concerns over U.K. government borrowing mounted as figures revealed the highest May budget deficit since 2019, causing a jump in 10-year Gilt yields.
In sector-specific news, Indian information technology companies faced significant pressure. Shares of Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra plummeted by up to 7% after global professional services firm Accenture cut its revenue growth guidance, sparking fresh worries over the IT sector's outlook.
Oil prices drifted lower as shipping activity resumed smoothly through the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Iran deal. Brent crude futures fell 0.45% to $79.49 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined 0.31% to $76.36 per barrel. OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais reiterated the organization's view that oil demand is not expected to peak in the foreseeable future.
Adding to currency volatility, the Japanese yen breached the 161 mark against the U.S. dollar, nearing a four-decade low and intensifying speculation of potential intervention by Tokyo. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warned that Japan is 'prepared to take decisive action on speculative moves.'
Meanwhile, MSCI issued a renewed warning about Indonesia's market transparency, citing opaque shareholding structures and coordinated trading activity. This followed earlier concerns, leading to a downgrade in Indonesia's Information Flow assessment and contributing to the Jakarta Composite Index erasing early gains.
Despite some market jitters, Japan's core inflation rate remained steady at 1.4% in May, aligning with expectations and indicating contained underlying price pressures, even amidst concerns about higher energy costs.
