[MARKET ANALYSIS] Asia-Pac stocks trade mixed after US-Iran escalation and with a key market participants away amid the holiday closure in Japan

APAC Stocks: Mixed

• Asia-Pac stocks trade somewhat mixed following the US-Iran escalation over the weekend, in which the sides ramped up their strikes after two US service members were killed during an Iranian strike on Jordan, while key participants are away owing to the holiday closure in Japan for Marine Day.

ASX 200: 0.2%

• Trades rangebound with light pertinent catalyst and a lack of data releases overnight.

KOSPI: -4.1%

• Underperforms as the tech-related losses late last week catch up to the index on return from a 3-day weekend.

Hang Seng & Shanghai Comp: Hang Seng +2.2% / Shanghai Comp +1.2%

• Chinese markets rallied with strength seen in energy and tech-related stocks amid higher oil prices and reports that launched a preview of its flagship Qwen3.8 Max model, which is said to be comparable to leading frontier AI models. Furthermore, the PBoC maintained its benchmark LPRs for the 14th consecutive month, while China’s top leaders are expected to decide on additional stimulus measures at the Politburo meeting this month.

US Equity Futures: Mixed

• Price action is mixed amid US-Iran escalation and ahead of key earnings.

European Equity Futures +0.1%

• Indicate a marginally positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.1% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.8% on Friday.

The mixed performance of Asia-Pacific stocks today reflects the market's response to the escalating tensions between the US and Iran, which could heighten geopolitical risk sentiment. Meanwhile, the holiday closure in Japan has left key market participants away, leading to a thin trading environment, particularly affecting the performance of the KOSPI. The backdrop of rising oil prices and potential stimulus measures in China adds additional layers of complexity for traders to navigate.