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Asian shares shrug off Venezuela impact and climb; oil volatile

Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 5, 2026
By Gregor Stuart Hunter

So, what’s the latest buzz? In the bustling financial districts of Asia, stocks are on the up and up, shrugging off some drama from Venezuela. Seems like the weekend antics, including the U.S. capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, didn’t faze investors much. Trump decided to put Venezuela under temporary American control. Wild, right?

Everyone’s got their eyes glued to economic reports hitting this week. But in the midst of it all, MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index sans Japan ticked up 0.3%. Meanwhile, those S&P 500 e-minis inched up by 0.1%.

Neil Shearing at Capital Economics had some thoughts. He figures this Venezuelan shakeup won’t rock the global economy in the short term, but politically and geopolitically? Things could get spicy.

Now, let’s gab about oil. WTI crude had a seesaw moment, winding up 0.1% at $57.36. Folks are weighing the U.S. intervention and a recent OPEC+ vote to keep things steady on the production front. Marko Papic from BCA Research doesn’t see a bearish oil story unfolding. Venezuela’s going to need help to boost its production—help it doesn’t exactly have in abundance.

And, regional stocks? They’re partying too. Japan’s Nikkei 225 is up 2.5%, hitting a two-month high. Over in Seoul, the Kospi jumped 2%, marking a new record.

But what about the U.S. dollar? The dollar index edged up 0.1% to 98.55, pushing its winning streak to five days. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield edged slightly higher, adding 0.2 basis points to reach 4.187%.

How about commodities? Gold rose by 1%, trading at $4,371.29. Bitcoin saw a 0.2% bump, hitting $91,452.90, while ether? It stayed flat at $3,141.29.

See how seamlessly global events like the Venezuela situation and economic reports blend into the intricate fabric of finance? It’s a wild ride, but that’s what keeps it all interesting, right?

_Reporting by Gregor Stuart Hunter; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman_

The post Asian Markets Rise Despite Venezuela Concerns; Oil Prices Fluctuate appeared first on Kingston Global Tokyo Japan.

NEW YORK (AP) — Monday on Wall Street felt like that calm after a storm. U.S. stocks bounced back with a little swagger, while oil prices eased from their weekend spurt, prompted by Israel’s strike on Iranian targets. You gotta love how the S&P 500 added 0.9%, almost wiping out Friday’s dip, while the Dow climbed 317 points (0.8%), and the Nasdaq strutted up 1.5%. It was a global party, as stock prices soared from Asia to Europe.

So, you’re probably wondering about those oil prices. They’ve been like a drama queen since last week. They spiked after the attacks but began to mellow out as hopes surfaced that the skirmish might not mess with oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. oil dropped to $71.77 a barrel, sliding 1.7%, while Brent crude dipped 1.3% to $73.23. Talk about déjà vu from past Middle East conflicts. They flare up, oil prices jump, but then peace sneaks in temporarily.

[AP AUDIO: Wall Street recovers from Friday’s shock as US stocks rally and oil prices ease](#)

Wall Street’s snapping back like a rubber band, and oil prices are getting back in line. Catch more on this from our guy, Seth Sutel.

Across the ocean, plenty of action too. Asian markets rallied, with South Korea’s Kospi spiraling 1.8% higher, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 not far behind at 1.3%. Even European indexes caught the wave. Here at home, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose a tad to 4.45%, as everyone watches for the Fed’s next move.

Now, about Iran’s diplomatic hint. Their foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, threw a little bait toward Washington, suggesting diplomacy could be back if Uncle Sam phones Israel. Comic relief, maybe?

Stateside, keep your eye on the tariffs. Trump’s taxes on imports are like an unpredictable guest at a dinner party. They might change the whole feel of the economic room, with growth and inflation on the line as the U.S. chats with the Group of Seven in Canada.

Expect some financial forecast buzz from the Fed later this week. They’ll unveil their economic crystal ball, thanks to Bank of America hinting at one more interest cut this year and possibly three in 2026. With inflation behaving itself, the Fed has stayed coy, holding back from tweaking interest rates. But traders expect no moves from them this week.

Gold, the safe-haven asset, saw a dip, losing 1% to settle at $3,417.30. Guess investors are feeling a bit braver. Meanwhile, on the Wall Street merry-go-round, Sage Therapeutics enjoyed a 35.4% leap after [Supernus Pharmaceuticals](https://www.supernus.com/) announced plans to buy it. U.S. Steel had a 5.1% lift, too, as [Trump](https://www.trump.com/) got all executive order-y with Nippon Steel from Japan.

Defense contractors, though, didn’t keep up their adrenaline from Friday. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman dropped, with the former down 4% and the latter 3.7%. Talk about a mixed bag.

In the grand finale, the S&P 500 closed at 6,033.11. The Dow ended at 42,515.09, and the Nasdaq called it a day at 19,701.21. Stocks in China got a little boost from hot consumer spending but lagged with factory and investment growth. It’s all a big, wild mix. Just another manic Monday in the world’s financial heartbeat.

———

AP Writer Jiang Junzhe lent a hand on this one.

The post Markets Surge as Oil Prices Decline appeared first on Kingston Global Tokyo Japan.