Hong Kong, 30 April 2026 – Asia-Pacific markets fell on Thursday as investors weighed rising oil prices, hawkish central-bank signals and renewed geopolitical uncertainty, with regional equities pulling back despite continued optimism around artificial intelligence-linked technology shares.
The broader regional tone weakened after Brent crude surged to around US$125 per barrel, its highest level in four years, as markets reacted to fears of renewed US military action against Iran and possible disruption to energy flows. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index fell about 1 percent, although it remained sharply higher for the month, reflecting how far regional markets had already rallied before the latest pullback. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.4 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 1.2 percent.
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