Beijing Central Business District, mix of offices and apartments
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Asia-Pacific markets were set to open subdued Monday, as the escalating Israel-Iran tensions weigh down investors’ sentiment.
Oil prices jumped as Israel and Iran exchanged strikes, while gold prices rallied, as investors sought refuge in the safe haven metal with equity markets sliding globally. The attacks continued over the weekend.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,170 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 38,070, against the index’s Friday close of 37,834.25.
Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 23,739, pointing to a weaker open compared to the HSI’s last close of 23,892.56.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 is set to open marginally higher, with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,566 compared to its last close of 8,547.
— CNBC’s Pia Singh and Darla Mercado contributed to this report.