SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Reuters) - Indexes tracking emerging market stocks and currencies were on track to notch a monthly gain on Friday, on investor hopes that U.S. and Iran were moving towards a deal that could put an end to their three-month conflict.
MSCI's index tracking EM stocks rose 1.6%, hovered near record highs hit earlier in the week, while the currencies gauge was flat. Both indexes were on track to close the week higher.
While concerns over Asia's dependence on Middle East energy has weighed on the region's assets, investors took on more risk this week banking on an end to the conflict.
Investors also bet on the AI euphoria, sending tech-heavy stock bourses to record highs. However, gains were capped as markets awaited more clarity on ceasefire extension agreement that would also lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, thought President Donald Trump has yet to approve it.
South Korea's KOSPI jumped 3.6% with LG Electronics up about 30%. Most AI-linked stocks also gained after Dell's forecast lift overnight.
Stocks in Taiwan and Hong Kong gained 2.5% and 0.7%, respectively.
The optimism spilled into emerging Europe with bourses in Poland up 0.5% and Hungary up 0.7%. Romanian stocks slipped 0.2%.
Polish and Romanian equities are set for their biggest monthly jump since December and January, respectively.
Stocks in South Africa were 0.3% higher, aided by a slight uptick in gold prices. They are set for monthly declines of more than 2%, the biggest since January this year.
The dollar index that measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, had lost ground following reports of the deal in the previous session. It stabilised 0.1% on Friday.
"The ceasefire extension in Iran is helping markets trade optimistically again, but we ultimately need to see a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to take the dollar much lower from here," said analysts at ING in a note.
EM currencies were mixed against the U.S. dollar, with most Asian ones flat-to-lower. Indonesia's rupiah depreciated 0.5% to another record low of 17,885 against the dollar.
South Africa's rand weakened 0.2% while markets in Turkey were closed for a third session. The former's central bank delivered an expected 25 basis-point interest rate hike on Thursday, its first in three years.
Most currencies in emerging Europe were largely subdued. But Hungary's forint slumped 0.8% against the euro, on track for its steepest one-day fall in two months.
S&P is scheduled to review its rating on Hungary and South Africa later in the day.
(Reporting by Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman) - Reuters
