Financial Wire

South Korean Shares Open Higher on Potential US-Iran Talks, Israel-Lebanon's Direct Negotiations

-- South Korean shares opened sharply higher on Wednesday on hopes of renewed Washington-Tehran talks after initial negotiations failed in Islamabad last week. Investor optimism picked up after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said fresh peace talks could take place over the "next two days."

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, rose 173.85 points or 2.91% to open at 6,141.60. The Kosdaq also increased 18.74 points or 1.67% to start trading at 1,140.62.

In addition, Israel and Lebanon resumed direct discussions for the first time in over three decades on Tuesday in Washington. The exchange was said to be positive, although key differences are yet to be resolved.

Lebanon's Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said details of the next talks will be shared in due course. Moawad described the first meeting as constructive and highlighted the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis from the ongoing conflict.

Related Articles

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Initiates Coverage On Shares Of Klarna Group Plc With A Hold Rating

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We initiate coverage on KLAR with a Hold rating and target of $16, 13.9x our 2028 EPS estimate, a discount to its historical trading average (38.7x) but more aligned with peers (13.6x). We project an LPS of $0.14 in 2026 and EPS of $0.68 in 2027 and $1.15 in 2028. While KLAR benefits from secular BNPL tailwinds and market-leading scale across 118M consumers and 966K merchants, near-term profitability remains pressured by Fair Financing's rapid expansion that front-loads provisions while deferring revenue recognition. The Klarna Card's explosive adoption and AI-led operational leverage provide compelling long-term upside, but execution risks cloud the outlook. Management has missed transaction margin dollar guidance despite beating revenue expectations, raising questions about its ability to forecast the P&L impact of its own strategic initiatives. A federal securities lawsuit alleging the IPO prospectus understated credit risk exposure adds near-term overhang as shares have fallen over 60% from the IPO price.

$KLAR
Asia

SUPCON's 2025 Profit Drops 60%, Revenue Slips 12%; Shares Down 5%

SUPCON Technology's (SHA:688777) net profit attributable to shareholders in 2025 dropped 60% to 441.5 million yuan from 1.12 billion yuan a year earlier, according to a Shanghai bourse filing on Tuesday.Earnings per share fell 61% year on year to 0.56 yuan from 1.42 yuan.Operating revenue slipped 12% to 8.07 billion yuan from 9.14 billion yuan in the previous year.The industrial automation control products manufacturer's shares fell 5% during the morning trade.

$SHA:688777
Asia

Aspial Lifestyle Prices SG$28 Million Worth of Bonds; Shares Up 7%

Aspial Lifestyle (SGX:5UF) priced SG$28 million worth of 5.10% bonds due 2029, under its SG$300 million multicurrency medium-term bond program, according to a Monday filing with the Singapore Exchange.Shares of the retail brand were up over 7% in Tuesday's late-morning trading.The bonds will be consolidated and form a single series with the existing SG$75 million 5.10% bonds due 2029.DBS Bank was appointed as the sole dealer for the bonds.Net proceeds raised from the issue of the bonds will be used for general corporate purposes.The bonds are expected to be listed on April 30, the filing added.

$SGX:5UF
South Korean Shares Open Higher on Potential US-Iran Talks, Israel-Lebanon's Direct Negotiations | Financial Wire