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ASIA STOCKS: Asian Equities Higher Following Positive Tariff News

ASIA STOCKS
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Asian equities are higher today as investors reacted positively to the prospect that reciprocal US tariffs may take weeks to materialize, raising hopes for negotiations that could soften their impact. The MSCI Asia Pacific rose for the third consecutive day, supported by Wall Street's rally, where the S&P 500 neared a record high. The South Korean won gained, while the yen fluctuated. Optimism around China’s artificial intelligence sector further fueled gains, with Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech stocks performing strongly. Meanwhile, US tsys yields fell overnight, helping risk sentiment, and the AUD hit a two-month high against the USD.

  • Hong Kong’s HSI jumped 2.3%, continuing its recent rally driven by strong gains in Chinese technology stocks. Tencent, Xiaomi, and Meituan all surged over 4%, supported by renewed investor interest in the sector following DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough. Optimism around China’s broader AI capabilities and a wave of new AI model releases from firms such as Alibaba and Baidu further boosted sentiment. Mainland China equities are higher, however are again underperforming HK listed stocks, The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.25%, while the CSI 300 is trading 0.75% higher.
  • Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.65%, despite the broader rally in Asian equities. Selling pressure was evident as investors weighed Trump’s comments targeting Japan for potential reciprocal tariffs. Meanwhile, JX Advanced Metals Corp. set an indicative share price for its IPO, marking Japan’s largest such deal since 2018. The semiconductor sector was in focus, with sentiment dampened by questions over the benefits of TSMC’s reported partnership with Intel.
  • South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.90%, benefiting from broader risk-on sentiment and a stronger won. Tech stocks were a key driver, mirroring gains in the Chinese sector. However, South Korea remains under scrutiny after being singled out by Trump for potential reciprocal tariffs, which could impact trade-sensitive industries.
  • Taiwan's TAIEX has struggled today with the index down 1%, as TSMC dropped 2.30%.
  • Australia's ASX 200 hit a fresh record, rising 0.30% and marking its third record high this week, with the index briefly trading above 8,600 before pulling back, with strong gains in utilities and mining offsetting losses in financials and healthcare. Origin Energy surged 2.8%, leading the utilities sector, while BHP, Fortescue, and Rio Tinto all advanced. However, Cochlear slumped 13% after issuing a cautious profit outlook, and AMP plunged 13.7% following a disappointing earnings report. 
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Asian equities are higher today as investors reacted positively to the prospect that reciprocal US tariffs may take weeks to materialize, raising hopes for negotiations that could soften their impact. The MSCI Asia Pacific rose for the third consecutive day, supported by Wall Street's rally, where the S&P 500 neared a record high. The South Korean won gained, while the yen fluctuated. Optimism around China’s artificial intelligence sector further fueled gains, with Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech stocks performing strongly. Meanwhile, US tsys yields fell overnight, helping risk sentiment, and the AUD hit a two-month high against the USD.

  • Hong Kong’s HSI jumped 2.3%, continuing its recent rally driven by strong gains in Chinese technology stocks. Tencent, Xiaomi, and Meituan all surged over 4%, supported by renewed investor interest in the sector following DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough. Optimism around China’s broader AI capabilities and a wave of new AI model releases from firms such as Alibaba and Baidu further boosted sentiment. Mainland China equities are higher, however are again underperforming HK listed stocks, The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.25%, while the CSI 300 is trading 0.75% higher.
  • Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.65%, despite the broader rally in Asian equities. Selling pressure was evident as investors weighed Trump’s comments targeting Japan for potential reciprocal tariffs. Meanwhile, JX Advanced Metals Corp. set an indicative share price for its IPO, marking Japan’s largest such deal since 2018. The semiconductor sector was in focus, with sentiment dampened by questions over the benefits of TSMC’s reported partnership with Intel.
  • South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.90%, benefiting from broader risk-on sentiment and a stronger won. Tech stocks were a key driver, mirroring gains in the Chinese sector. However, South Korea remains under scrutiny after being singled out by Trump for potential reciprocal tariffs, which could impact trade-sensitive industries.
  • Taiwan's TAIEX has struggled today with the index down 1%, as TSMC dropped 2.30%.
  • Australia's ASX 200 hit a fresh record, rising 0.30% and marking its third record high this week, with the index briefly trading above 8,600 before pulling back, with strong gains in utilities and mining offsetting losses in financials and healthcare. Origin Energy surged 2.8%, leading the utilities sector, while BHP, Fortescue, and Rio Tinto all advanced. However, Cochlear slumped 13% after issuing a cautious profit outlook, and AMP plunged 13.7% following a disappointing earnings report.