Oil prices retreated while precious metals surged after the US captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a weekend raid, a development that rattled energy markets but sent investors rushing toward traditional havens.
Equities, however, opened the week on a strong footing. Asian markets led the charge, with benchmark indices in South Korea and Japan pushing to fresh records. US stocks were more subdued, trading flat in premarket dealings after eking out modest gains on Wall Street on Friday.
In the oil market, early strength quickly faded. US benchmark crude initially edged higher before sliding 23 cents to $57.09 a barrel. Brent crude, the international yardstick, slipped 17 cents to $60.58 a barrel, having been down as much as 1.2% earlier in the session.
By contrast, precious metals caught a powerful bid. Gold climbed 1.9%, while silver surged an eye-catching 5.7%, underlining their appeal as safe-haven assets during periods of geopolitical stress.
Asian equities rallied sharply. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 jumped 3% to 51,853.53 after resuming trading on Monday, having closed at a year-end high for 2025. South Korea’s Kospi surged 3.1% to 4,441.80, building on a record close at the end of last week. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added a modest 0.1% to 8,733.30, while Taiwan’s benchmark index climbed 2.9%.
In currency markets, the dollar strengthened early on Monday, rising to 157.27 yen from 156.82, while the euro slipped to $1.168 from $1.173, reflecting a cautious tilt as markets digested the geopolitical fallout.
