Gold and Silver Prices Surge, Asian Shares Mixed Post-Wall Street Retreat

[Para 1: The Lead] Asian equity markets were mixed Wednesday following a retreat on Wall Street, while gold and silver prices climbed higher amid geopolitical tensions and a weaker U.S. dollar. The S&P 500 futures rose 0.3%, and oil prices advanced, reflecting market recovery post-turbulence. [Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.6%, influenced by selling in technology stocks. Shares of Tokyo Electron and Advantest declined, while SoftBank Group saw a slight gain. In South Korea, the Kospi gained 0.9%, despite some tech stocks weakening. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.4%, and Shanghai Composite was flat. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.9%, and Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.3%. Gold prices surged 3.8%, and silver prices jumped 5.1%, recovering from a recent sell-off. Safe haven demand and geopolitical uncertainties are supporting precious metals prices, according to ING Bank analysts.