Asian stocks came under downward pressure.

Asian stock markets fell on May 18, extending global losses, as stalled Middle East peace efforts pushed oil prices higher.

An electronic display shows the KOSPI index at Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo: Yonhap/VNA)

At the close of trading, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1% to 60,815.95 points. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 1.1% to 25,675.18 points, while the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.1% to 4,131.53 points.

In South Korea, the Kospi index rose 22.86 points, or 0.31%, to 7,516.04, recovering from the previous day's sharp decline, as investors bought shares of major chipmakers like Samsung Electronics. The market has been repeatedly setting new records in recent days thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence stocks.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the US and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement in April 2026, but negotiations have stalled and attacks in the region continue. On May 17, US President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran, threatening that the country would face serious consequences if it did not accept a peace agreement.

The conflict led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global oil exports pass in peacetime. The strait remains virtually closed nearly 11 weeks after the conflict erupted, with last week's US-China summit ending without any breakthrough on reopening this vital shipping lane.

According to MUFG bank analyst Michael Wan, three factors – soaring oil prices, increasingly dim prospects for a Middle East peace deal, and growing financial concerns, particularly in the UK and the US – have driven global government bond yields sharply higher. However, last week's US-China trade talks provided some impetus to Asian stock markets.

Meanwhile, data released on May 18 showed that China's consumer spending in April 2026 increased at its slowest pace in more than three years, a clear sign of the challenges the country faces in restoring domestic economic activity.

Later in the day, traders will focus on the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations opening in Paris, France, where bond sell-offs will be a key area of ​​attention.

In the domestic market, on the afternoon of May 18th, the VN-Index increased by 6.34 points (0.33%), reaching 1,927.94 points. The HNX-Index increased by 1.83 points (0.71%) to 259.25 points.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thi-truong-tien-te/chung-khoan-chau-a-chiu-ap-luc-giam-diem-20260518161404813.htm