European shares gain after a retreat in Asia as Iran war worries push
oil prices higher
[April 28, 2026] By
YURI KAGEYAMA
TOKYO (AP) — European shares opened with gains after a retreat Tuesday
in Asia. Oil prices climbed after diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war
once again appeared to stall.
France's CAC 40 gained 0.1% to 8,153.65, while the German DAX edged up
0.1% to 24,125.57. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.2% to 10,345.03.
The future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average gained 0.2%.
Despite a tenuous ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively
closed. Much of Asia, including resource-poor Japan, relies on that
route for its oil shipments.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.0% to finish at 59,917.46 after the
central bank opted to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 0.75%.
The Bank of Japan said that while the economy was still growing
moderately it was expected to slow as the war pushes for crude oil and
other products higher. The vote by its monetary policy board at 6-3 was
not unanimous. Pressures have been growing for Japan to gradually raise
interest rates after keeping them near or below zero for years to combat
deflation.
“There are various risks to the outlook," it said in a statement. “For
the time being it is necessary to pay particular attention to the impact
of the future course of the situation in the Middle East.”
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.4% to 6,641.02.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped nearly 1.0% to 25,679.78, while the
Shanghai Composite shed 0.2% to 4,078.64.
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A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's
Nikkei index at a securities firm, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in
Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
 Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.6% to
8,710.70.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June
climbed $2.47 to $110.70. Brent to be delivered in July, which is
where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose $2.19
to $103.88 per barrel.
Brent prices were at about $70 per barrel before the war and have
briefly shot to nearly $120. Benchmark U.S. crude added $2.18 to
$98.55 a barrel.
On Monday, the S&P 500 inched up 0.1% to another all-time high and
the Dow industrials dipped 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite index rose
0.2%.
The U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of England
will also be announcing interest-rate decisions this week.
In currency trading Tuesday, the U.S. dollar inched up to 159.53
Japanese yen from 159.42 yen. The euro cost $1.1701, down from
$1.1720.
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