Risk on, reluctantly
Asian markets woke up and decided to follow Wall Street’s lead, with most indexes trading higher on Friday. The mood music? Traders are squinting at reports that the U.S. and Iran may have reached a tentative 60-day ceasefire framework, which is enough to get people leaning back into risk assets.
Why the tape cares
When geopolitics starts hinting at “maybe, possibly, fewer explosions,” markets tend to do what markets do: breathe a little easier. That can mean a bid for stocks and a softer bid for the fear trade, especially when the overnight U.S. session already sent a friendly signal.
The catch
This is still a headline-driven move, not a solved problem. A tentative truce is the financial equivalent of a group chat saying “we should talk” — promising, sure, but not exactly a signed contract.
Big picture
For investors, the real takeaway is that sentiment can flip quickly when the geopolitical temperature changes. If the ceasefire chatter sticks, it could keep risk assets supported; if it falls apart, the market mood could get cranky again in a hurry.