Asia stocks rise despite lingering AI worries , oil down after US - Iran talks

asiaone.com · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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SYDNEY - Asian stocks pushed higher on Wednesday (Feb 18) despite the renewed artificial intelligence worries gripping international markets, while oil prices fluctuated after Iran touted progress in nuclear negotiations with the United States.The New Zealand dollar sank after the central bank said monetary policy needs to remain accommodative for some time to support the economic recovery.Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4 per cent, as it snapped a three-day selloff, while Australia's S&P/ASX200 was up 0.5 per cent.Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were among markets closed for Lunar New Year holidays.Stock futures pointed to slight gains at the open in Europe. Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 0.07 per cent, German DAX futures added 0.06 per cent and FTSE futures were up 0.14 per cent at 10,529.US stock futures were also positive with the S&P 500 e-minis, up 0.06 per cent at 6,864.8.The positive mood in Asia followed a lacklustre session on Tuesday on Wall Street as investors grappled with the outlook for the AI boom.Concerns that companies are over-investing, along with angst about the extent to which the nascent technology could disrupt labour markets, have fuelled investor jitters in recent weeks.The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes was up 1.7 basis points at 4.0712 per cent on Wednesday. The 30-year bond yield was up 1.6 basis points to 4.7011 per cent."AI uncertainty remains a source of volatility, both in terms of the difficulty in assessing which AI companies will be the winners and losers but also what sort of impact will AI have in other companies and sectors of the economy," NAB analysts said.Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures were up between 0.2 per cent and 0.3 per cent on Wednesday at $67.60 (S$85.39) and $62.51 per barrel, respectively, after both slid to close at more than two-week lows in the previous session.Following talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister said Tehran and Washington reached an understanding on main "guiding principles" towards resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute, easing worries about a military conflict near the Strait of Hormuz that could disrupt global oil supplies.Gold bounced higher after opening in negative territory. It was up 1 per cent to around $4,926 per ounce and silver gained 2.15 per cent to around $74.94 per ounce.The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major peers, was up slightly in Asia hours at 97.22.The traditional safe-haven currency held its ground as geopolitical risks kept markets on edge and investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve's January meeting, due later on Wednesday, for signals on the path for interest rates.The euro edged down 0.1 per cent to $1.1843, while sterling stabilised at $1.3555 following a 0.5 per cent slide in the previous session.The New Zealand dollar fell 0.8 per cent to $0.5998 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept interest rates on hold at 2.25 per cent at its first meeting of the year and flagged policy would likely stay accommodative for some time.The Aussie eased 0.2 per cent to $0.7069, while the yen firmed almost 0.2 per cent to 153.58 per dollar.Japan's annual bond issuance will likely surge 28 per cent three years from now due to rising debt-financing costs, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a finance ministry estimate.Japan would need to issue up to 38 trillion yen (S$312 billion) worth of bonds in the fiscal year starting in April 2029 to fill a hole from expenditures surpassing tax revenues, up from 29.6 trillion yen in fiscal 2026, the report said.[[nid:729130]]