Japanese Shares Gain on US-Iran Deal Hopes
2026-04-14 00:30
By
Jam Kaimo Samonte
1 min. read
The Nikkei 225 Index surged more than 2% to above 57,700 on Tuesday, marking a six-week high as optimism grew over a potential longer-term agreement between the US and Iran, despite the breakdown in peace talks over the weekend.
President Donald Trump said Tehran had reached out to Washington just hours after the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices declined, helping ease inflationary pressures and tempering expectations that central banks will maintain or even tighten interest rate policy.
Meanwhile, uncertainty persists over whether the Bank of Japan will raise rates later this month, as policymakers balance inflation risks against concerns about economic growth.
Technology stocks drove the rally, with strong gains from Disco Corp (5.3%), Advantest (6.8%), Tokyo Electron (1.9%), Lasertec (2.3%), and SoftBank Group (5.5%).