Asian markets show mixed results as Nikkei 225 rises on AI optimism

Asian stock markets showed mixed performance on Monday, following recent gains in Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei 225 led the upward trend, rising 2.08% to 66,970.22, driven largely by optimism in the artificial intelligence sector and strong performances from semiconductor equipment manufacturers such as Tokyo Electron and Advantest.

In South Korea, the KOSPI saw more modest gains of approximately 0.65% to 0.7%, as investors balanced bargain hunting with significant foreign selling of large-cap technology stocks. Major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix experienced volatility, with Samsung seeing slight declines while SK Hynix saw minor fluctuations.

Other regional markets reported varied results: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.05%, Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 1.59%, and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.67%. Conversely, the Australian S&P/ASX 200 declined by 0.33%. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty regarding the Strait of Hormuz continue to influence global markets and support oil prices.