Asian equities are steady after the U.S. Secretary of State agreed to a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister, raising hopes for a diplomatic solution to the East-West standoff over Ukraine.
The CSI300, HSI, KOSPI and TOPIX inched down marginally by 0.19%, 0.34%, 0.29%, 0.43% respectively.
Treasury 10-year yields rose to about 1.98% and gold retreated below $1,900 an ounce, having scaled the mark Thursday for the first time since June. The dollar was steady.
U.S. Secretary of Antony Blinken has accepted an invitation to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late next week provided Russia does not invade Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said.
“It’s better news than what we had yesterday,” said Kyle Rodda, an analyst at IG Markets in Melbourne. “But we’ve seen diplomatic talks go nowhere before, and the troops are still on the border, so risks remain.”
