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Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Thursday, with technology shares leading the way after gains in Nvidia, which recently crossed a $4 trillion valuation. However, lingering concerns over U.S. trade tariffs tempered some of the optimism, particularly in Japan.
Japanese Stocks Weighed Down by U.S. Tariffs
The Nikkei 225 was the worst performer in the region, falling 0.5%, while the TOPIX index shed 0.8%. This decline followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of 25% tariffs on Japan earlier this week. Talks between Tokyo and Washington appeared to stall, as Japan maintained its demands for an exemption from most U.S. tariffs, leaving the markets uncertain about future trade relations.
Tech Stocks Boost Regional Markets
Elsewhere in the region, most markets took a positive lead from Wall Street, where gains in tech stocks, particularly Nvidia, helped push the NASDAQ Composite to a record high. Nvidia’s performance sparked a rally in broader tech stocks across Asia, particularly in South Korea, where the KOSPI gained 0.8%. Local chipmaker stocks such as SK Hynix rose 3.2%, benefiting from Nvidia’s gains. SK Hynix, a key supplier for Nvidia, had already been rising after Samsung Electronics announced a much weaker-than-expected profit forecast for 2024.
South Korea’s Economy and BOK Rate Hold
The Bank of Korea (BOK) kept interest rates unchanged, as expected, signaling that policymakers remained open to further rate cuts in the face of persistent headwinds for the economy. This dovish stance helped boost investor confidence in South Korean equities, particularly tech stocks.
China and Hong Kong Markets Subdued
Chinese markets were more muted, with the Shanghai Composite and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 both rising by 0.3%. However, Chinese inflation data released on Wednesday showed slower-than-expected growth, dampening sentiment. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained flat as gains in tech stocks were offset by losses in Chinese stocks listed in the region.
Australia and India Show Mixed Sentiment
Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.6%, benefiting from expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will cut interest rates in August, following an unexpected hold earlier this week. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Straits Times index gained 0.4%. In contrast, India’s Nifty 50 index futures pointed to a negative open, with a 0.1% drop.
Outlook
While many Asian markets showed positive movement, the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s trade tariffs, especially the 50% tariff on Brazil and the imposition of a 50% levy on copper imports, continued to cloud investor sentiment. As the July 9 tariff deadline approaches, global markets are bracing for the potential economic fallout, which will likely weigh on investor confidence in the short term.
