Brent crude oil prices extended their recent gains as investors continued to price in escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East.
The energy market's resilience comes despite a broader sense of caution across global asset classes, with traders balancing supply-side concerns against macroeconomic uncertainty.
2%, showing some underlying strength in the Japanese market despite the daily pullback.
Asian equity markets remained largely flat during the session, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan holding steady.
The regional benchmark was down 0.4% for the week, reflecting a cautious stance among investors.
Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.9%, though it remained on track for a weekly rise of 1.2%, showing some underlying strength in the Japanese market despite the daily pullback.
The divergence between energy and equity performance highlights the current market dynamic: while geopolitical risks are driving oil higher, equity investors are waiting for clarity on the US economic outlook.