Asian Stocks Face Downturn Amid Geopolitical Tensions, Fading Optimism

• Asian equities, global shares, and Treasury yields fell as market optimism wanes due to mixed US data and geopolitical shifts.
• US seized Venezuelan oil tankers; Trump's threats on Greenland and social media posts impacted defense stocks and homebuilders.
• China launched an anti-dumping probe against Japan over chipmaking material, escalating tensions between the two Asian economies.
• Commodities like copper and oil extended losses, with copper sliding from a record high and oil affected by US actions in Venezuela.
• Despite strong global bond issuance, underlying market sentiment remains poor, with focus shifting to upcoming US payrolls and Trump's tariff ruling.

Why It Matters: Global markets face uncertainty from geopolitical events and mixed economic signals, dampening investor optimism.