Asian stocks mostly fall after Wall Street losses and oil prices rise

Audio By Carbonatix

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell on Tuesday following Wall Street losses, while U.S. Treasury yields paused their runup after reaching their highest level in roughly two decades.

U.S. futures edged lower, and oil prices climbed over uncertainties over U.S.-Iran talks and the possibility of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that's crucial for oil transport.

On Monday the S&P 500 slipped 0.8%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9%.

Stocks have been under pressure from rising yields on U.S. Treasuries, with investors looking for higher returns under growing worries about inflation and rising U.S. government debt.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury was at its highest since 2007. It was at around 5.25% early Tuesday, after hitting 5.27% Monday, compared with around 5.17% last Friday.

Central banks have been raising rates to help rein in inflation. On Tuesday, Australia’s central bank lifted its benchmark rate in its forth hike this year to the highest level in 15 years. Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time in three years, and the Bank of Japan also raised rates to the highest in 31 years.

Already high oil prices, which contributed to inflation, went up early Tuesday, even as mediators continued to work with the U.S. and Iran on reaching a deal. U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend had rejected an offer from Tehran in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude, the international standard, gained 1.8% to $99.63 per barrel, well above the roughly $72 a barrel level in late February before the Iran war.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.2% to 65,114.64. South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.6% to 6,847.56. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.5% to 24,516.46. Hong Kong-traded shares of Shein fell 11.7%, after the fast-fashion online retail company reported its adjusted net profit for the latest quarter fell 67% from the year before.

The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.1% to 3,826.51 following a report from China’s official Xinhua News Agency late Monday that its State Council discussed “improving the effectiveness” of macro policies to help boost its economy.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1% to 8,686.20.

Taiwan’s Taiex was 0.6% lower, while India’s Sensex fell 0.7%.

The U.S. dollar rose to 157.42 Japanese yen from 157.39 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1362, down from $1.1371.

___

Associated Press journalists Rod McGuirk and Stan Choe contributed to this report.