Market UpdatesMay 25, 20262 Min

Global Market Wrap: Asian Stocks Rise, Nikkei Leads as Iran Deal Hopes Cool Oil Prices

We are back with quick updates about global stock markets and major developments across some of the top companies worldwide.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a record and crossed 65,000 for the first time on Monday as investors grew cautiously optimistic over the prospect of a US-Iran peace deal. US President Donald Trump’s signal that negotiations are proceeding "in an orderly and constructive manner" gave a sense of relief. Oil prices too pulled back sharply from recent highs.

Surging more than 3%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a record of 65,408, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.15% to 5,075. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also traded higher at 0.5% to 8,698. Meanwhile, markets in Hong Kong and South Korea are closed for public holidays. The US markets will also be closed today for Memorial Day.

Crude fell sharply after Trump posted on Sunday that negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are advancing. He added that his representatives have been told not to "rush" a deal with Iran, walking back some of the optimism that had built through the week.

WTI dropped roughly 5% to $91.07 a barrel. Brent shed a similar amount to trade near $98.16 as both benchmarks posted their worst weekly performance in months.

Gold rose more than 1% to $4,557.4 an ounce as the dollar softened and lower oil eased inflation anxiety. Silver outperformed sharply, jumping nearly 3% to $77.6.

Here’s a look at some of the important developments across the global markets:

Nvidia Eyes China In Its Bold $200 Billion CPU Market Forecast

Nvidia's forecast for a $200 billion CPU market — opened up by its new "Vera" processor — includes China, a pointed signal given that not a single licensed H200 chip has actually been delivered to Chinese buyers yet.

SpaceX Starship V3 Reaches Space But Booster Crashes in Gulf

SpaceX flew its largest rocket yet on Friday — a 40-storey V3 Starship that released 20 mock Starlink satellites and splashed down in the Indian Ocean as planned. While SpaceX called it a test flight with the primary purpose of learning, the subtext is harder to ignore ahead of a record-breaking IPO Elon Musk announced days earlier.

Huawei Bets New Chip Law Can Beat US Sanctions by 2031

At an IEEE symposium in Shanghai, Huawei unveiled the Tau Scaling Law, a new design principle focused on cutting signal travel time rather than shrinking transistors. Its autumn Kirin line will be the first to use the related LogicFolding architecture.

Singapore Q1 GDP Surges 6%, Smashing Every Analyst Forecast

Singapore’s economy grew 6.0% year-on-year in the first quarter, blowing past the advance estimate of 4.6% and consensus forecasts, driven by AI-linked electronics demand and a 57.8% surge in electronics exports.