Global benchmarks are mixed in cautious trading amid uncertainty about
US-Iran ceasefire talks
[April 22, 2026] By
YURI KAGEYAMA
TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were mixed in cautious trading Wednesday, as
investors watched for next steps in the U.S.-Iran conflict after
President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire that was set to expire.
France's CAC 40 slipped 0.2% in early trading to 8,221.18, while the
German DAX inched down less than 0.1% to 24,256.40. Britain's FTSE 100
was virtually unchanged at 10,497.60. U.S. futures were set to drift
higher with Dow futures up 0.4% at 49,509.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4%
to 7,131.00.
Inflation in the U.K. climbed in March after a sharp jump in prices at
the pump in the wake of the disruption to energy supplies caused by the
Iran war, official figures showed Wednesday.
In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to finish at
59,585.86.
The government reported a trade deficit of 1.7 trillion yen ($10.7
billion) in the fiscal year that ended in March, the fifth straight
fiscal year of deficits. However, exports jumped nearly 11.7% in March
and imports rose almost 10.9% in a sign that manufacturers may be
bouncing back from the shocks of higher tariffs Trump imposed after
returning to office last year.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.2% to 8,843.60. South Korea's Kospi
added 0.5% to 6,417.93.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.2% to 26,163.24, while the Shanghai
Composite gained 0.5% to 4,106.26.
Oil prices have been wavering. In Asian trading Wednesday, benchmark
U.S. crude fell at first but later rose 50 cents to $90.17 a barrel.
Brent crude, the international standard, gained 81 cents to $99.29.
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A currency trader talks on the phone near a screen showing the Korea
Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing
room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday,
April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
 The moves were milder than the
vicious swings that rocked Wall Street earlier in the war, when the
price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly topped $119 and the S&P
500 dropped nearly 10% below its prior all-time high.
Much of the tension in financial markets has focused on what will
happen to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran’s coast
that oil tankers use to exit the Persian Gulf. Japan, for instance,
imports just about all its oil, and much of it previously came
through the strait. The government has released its oil reserves and
is working on alternative routes.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to Pakistan, where he
was expected to lead U.S. negotiators in talks with Iran to extend
the ceasefire.
Iran had not yet responded to Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire
extension, and both countries have warned they were prepared to
resume fighting if a deal isn’t reached.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged down to 159.32 Japanese
yen from 159.38 yen. The euro cost $1.1748, up from $1.1744.
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