investingLive Asia-Pacific FX news wrap: Russia-Ukraine peace. US upbeat, still work to do

  • Financial market news for Asian trading on Monday, November 24, 2025
market wrap session

Major FX pairs traded in subdued ranges with Japanese markets shut for a holiday, draining some liquidity from the session. Local equities were supported by improved sentiment following Friday’s Wall Street rebound and dovish remarks from New York Fed President John Williams.

The key weekend development was renewed US pressure on Ukraine to accept concessions to Russia as Washington pushes for a revised peace framework. Public comments from the White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded upbeat, but core security and territorial issues remain unresolved.

The ongoing peace discussions have been cited as a factor keeping oil prices under pressure on expectations that a Russia–Ukraine deal could eventually unwind sanctions and release previously restricted Russian supply. Brent and WTI drifted modestly lower. On the flip side, new US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil came into force Friday, leaving nearly 48 million barrels of Russian crude stranded at sea, a dynamic that could quickly become the new narrative if prices turn higher.

In equities, BHP said it is no longer pursuing a potential combination with Anglo American after preliminary talks, shelving last year's US$49bn takeover attempt. Meanwhile, Chinese semiconductor stocks slumped to multi-month lows amid chatter that Trump’s team is considering allowing sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China — a story that has circulated in various forms for months.

Asia-Pac stocks:

  • Japan (Nikkei 225) % ... closed for a holiday Monday
  • Hong Kong (Hang Seng) +1.4%
  • Shanghai Composite -0.3%
  • Australia (S&P/ASX 200) +1.2%

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