Asian Shares Slip From Record Highs As US Attacks Iran Again

Asian stocks slipped from record highs as renewed U.S.-Iran attacks pushed oil higher and revived inflation concerns, hitting rate-sensitive sectors. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell sharply as banks and property shares were sold off, while Hong Kong, Seoul and Japan indexes also weakened amid profit-taking in tech and worries about higher energy costs prompting tighter monetary policy. Brent crude rallied over 2% toward $97 a barrel, the dollar firmed and gold eased ahead of U.S. PCE inflation data, reinforcing market caution. Despite Asian weakness, U.S. benchmarks finished at record closes as talks over a deal with Iran showed mixed signals. Overall, the piece is a broad market commentary highlighting geopolitical-driven commodity moves and regional equity weakness, particularly for Australia 200.