Stocks in Asia edge lower at open, Japanese yen advances

On September 8, Asian stock markets opened mostly lower due to Middle East tensions driving up oil prices and heightening inflation concerns. The Japanese yen strengthened to its highest level since February, while MSCI Asia Pacific Index of regional equities fell 0.2%. Japanese and Australian benchmarks declined, while South Korea's market rose.

US financial markets were closed for a public holiday on September 7, causing fluctuations in stock futures for the Nasdaq 100 index. Brent crude oil prices remained steady at around US$98 a barrel after briefly surpassing that mark on the previous day.

Iran reported a potential agreement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving questions about the US' response to its recent strikes on Iranian vessels. Tehran also issued warnings that ships could be attacked near Oman's coastline. The yen gained 0.4% to 153.73 per dollar, rising 1.2% on September 7; it had reached a peak following coordinated intervention by Japan and the US. The Bloomberg dollar index dropped 0.1% in early trade on September 8.

Copper prices hit an all-time high the day before, buoyed by expectations that President Donald Trump would extend US tariffs to include refined metal imports. Investors are closely monitoring the week's US data, with the inflation report on September 11 potentially determining whether the Federal Reserve raises interest rates or remains on hold.

Geoff Yu, a senior macro strategist at BNY, noted that markets will adjust their positions before the Fed's break in policy. The yen's strong performance this week will keep it under scrutiny, as traders speculate the currency's rally might be driven by thin liquidity during the US holiday or breaching the 155 level. Last week's gains in the yen were the result of bets on Bank of Japan interest-rate hikes triggering a shift in sentiment towards the currency.