Asian Stock Markets Rise Following US and Oil Rally: Bloomberg's January 12 Overview

Asian stock markets opened the trading week on Monday, January 12, 2026, with confident growth. The main drivers were positive US employment data and new records for American indices. At the same time, investors' attention is focused on the energy market due to the critical situation in Iran. This is stated in a Bloomberg article, writes UNN.

Details

Positive sentiment in the Asian region formed after Friday's session in the US, where the S&P 500 index reached a new historical high, rising by 0.6%, and the technological Nasdaq 100 added 1%. Hang Seng futures in Hong Kong showed a 0.6% increase at the start of trading, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 - by 0.3%. The Japanese market is closed today due to a public holiday.

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Support for stocks was provided by data from the US Department of Labor: despite a slightly smaller number of new jobs, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%. In addition, the US Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the legality of Donald Trump's tariffs, which removed short-term uncertainty for businesses.

Oil and the "Iranian factor"

Oil prices are showing the longest weekly growth since last summer. The main reason is the escalation of protests in Iran, where the authorities have imposed an internet blockade and intensified repression. The market is pricing in the risks of the overthrow of the ayatollah regime, which could radically change the geopolitical map of the Middle East and energy flows.

Brent is trading around $62.40–63.30 per barrel.

WTI is holding at $58.20–59.10 per barrel.

Matt Maley, strategist at Miller Tabak + Co, notes that the level of geopolitical tension in the world has now reached peak values not seen in decades, despite the apparent calm of the stock markets.

Key events of the week

On Monday, investors are awaiting several important events:

• G7 meeting in Washington: Finance ministers will discuss the security of rare earth element supplies and attempts to reduce dependence on China.

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• Fed speeches: Speeches by New York Fed President John Williams and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic are scheduled for today, which may provide clues about further interest rate cuts.

• Economic data: South Korea and India are preparing to release reports on exports and inflation, respectively.

• The cryptocurrency market shows a slight correction: Bitcoin is trading at $90,482, having lost about 0.2%.

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