Delhi, 25 April (H.S.): Markets in the Asia-Pacific region saw gains following a third consecutive day of increases on Wall Street, driven by a rally in tech stocks and a more relaxed U.S. tariff rhetoric. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose by 0.91% and the Topix added 0.88%. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1.03%, and the smaller Kosdaq increased by 0.6%, amid reports of progress towards a U.S.-South Korea trade deal. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong opened 0.75% higher, while mainland China’s CSI 300 edged up 0.3%. Australian markets remained closed for a holiday.
Futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures rose by 0.4%; Dow Jones futures remained relatively flat. Stateside, the three major U.S. indexes finished higher, primarily due to notable gains from major tech companies, as investors looked for positive signals on global trade. The S&P 500 gained 2.03% to finish at 5,484.77, while the Nasdaq Composite soared by 2.74%, closing at 17,166.04. The Dow Jones added 1.23%, despite a 6.6% drop in IBM, culminating at 40,093.40.
Key tech stocks such as Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, and Microsoft all recorded gains, contributing to the overall market uptrend. According to Louis Navellier, chairman of Navellier & Associates, investors are adjusting to tariff uncertainties as corporate earnings are released, anticipating potential reductions in high tariffs on China. Next week, China is set to announce its April PMI figures, which will provide insights into factory activity in the context of U.S. tariffs. ANZ economists predict dips in manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs for April, compared to March data. Additionally, shares of South Korean shipbuilders rose as the country collaborates with the U.S. on a trade package.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries experienced a notable increase of 5.32%, following an earlier surge exceeding 7%, reaching a record high. Hanhwa Ocean, which operates a shipyard in Philadelphia, also saw its shares rise by 6.06%, while HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering climbed more than 4%. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized Thursday’s discussions between the U.S. and South Korea as very successful. A South Korean minister reportedly stated that an agreement on shipbuilding cooperation had been established between the two nations.
In the broader Asian markets, Japan’s benchmark indices, including the Nikkei 225 and Topix, recorded gains of 1.73% and 1.43%, respectively. This rally follows Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s announcement of an emergency economic stimulus package aimed at mitigating challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs, as reported by Kyodo News. The stimulus includes corporate financing support and measures to boost domestic consumption, alongside commitments to lower fuel prices and enhance energy bill subsidies.
In other news, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda mentioned that the central bank would persist in increasing interest rates if inflation trends approach their 2% target. The BOJ will also monitor potential economic repercussions stemming from higher U.S. tariffs, which could influence the likelihood of achieving its price targets necessary for further rate hikes.
Turning to India, equities appear set for a positive opening, with Gift Nifty up by 0.59%, suggesting early optimism for Sensex and Nifty. This upbeat sentiment is supported by robust global indicators, as Wall Street recorded its third consecutive winning session, driven by technology stocks. On April 25, major companies, including Reliance Industries, Maruti Suzuki, and RBL Bank, are slated to announce quarterly earnings, with investors also looking for updates from Tata Technologies and other prominent firms.
Pre-opening trends show a positive market start with both benchmark indices in the green. Sensex rose 139 points to 79,940.71, and Nifty gained 42.30 points to 24,289.00 as of 9:06 AM today.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
