Tokyo's Nikkei index soared Thursday to lead another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.
Oil prices also held the week's steep losses due to hopes Washington and Tehran will conclude the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of March, choking off a fifth of the world's crude.
kAm#:D< D6?E:>6?E 8@E 2 9F86 3@@DE (65?6D52J H96? !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A D2:5 2? 28C66>6?E H2D ?62C[ 2 52J 27E6C 96 A2FD65 677@CED E@ 96=A DEC2?565 D9:AD E9C@F89 w@C>FK[ H9:49 5C6H xC2?:2? 2EE24<D 2?5 E9C62E6?65 E96:C 7C28:=6 462D67:C6]k^Am
kAmx7 QxC2? 28C66D E@ 8:G6 H92E 92D 366? 28C665 E@Q E96 H2C H@F=5 36 @G6C[ E96 &$ AC6D:56?E D2:5] qFE :7 ?@E[ E96 3@>3:?8 H@F=5 C6DF>6 Q2E 2 >F49 9:896C =6G6= 2?5 :?E6?D:EJQ]k^Am
kAmw6 =2E6C E@=5 C6A@CE6CDi Q(6VG6 925 G6CJ 8@@5 E2=<D @G6C E96 =2DE ac 9@FCD[ 2?5 :EVD G6CJ A@DD:3=6 E92E H6V== >2<6 2 562=]Qk^Am
kAm&$ ?6HD @FE=6E pI:@D 4:E65 EH@ &$ @77:4:2=D 2D D2J:?8 3@E9 D:56D H6C6 4=@D6 E@ 28C66>6?E @? 2 @?6\A286 >6>@C2?5F> @7 F?56CDE2?5:?8 E@ 6?5 E96 H2C[ @A6? E96 DEC2:E 2?5 D6E 2 7C2>6H@C< 7@C >@C6 56E2:=65 ?F4=62C E2=<D]k^Am
kAmxC2? 92D J6E E@ C6DA@?5 E@ E96 &$ @776C[ H:E9 7@C6:8? >:?:DECJ DA@<6D>2? tD>26:= q2B26: E6==:?8 =@42= >65:2 :E H2D QDE:== F?56C C6G:6HQ]k^Am
kAm!2C=:2>6?E DA62<6C[ |@92>>25 q2896C v92=:327[ H9@ 92D E2<6? E96 =625 :? ?68@E:2E:@?D[ H2C?65 (2D9:?8E@? ECJ:?8 E@ Q7@C46 FD E@ DFCC6?56CQ]k^Am
kAm!2<:DE2?: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C $96932K $92C:7[ 2 <6J 7:8FC6 :? :?:E:2= E2=<D :? xD=2>2325 =2DE >@?E9[ D2:5 96 H2D QG6CJ 9@A67F=Q]k^Am
kAm~:= AC:46D H6C6 7=2E %9FCD52J[ 92G:?8 72==6? 2C@F?5 `_ A6C46?E @G6C E96 AC6G:@FD EH@ 52JD]k^Am
kAmx?G6DE@CD[ H9@ 92G6 =2C86=J C6>2:?65 @AE:>:DE:4 E92E 2 562= 42? 36 C624965[ EC24<65 2?@E96C C64@C5 52J @? (2== $EC66E 2?5 AFD965 pD:2? >2C<6ED 9:896C]k^Am
kAm%96 82:?D 92G6 2=D@ 366? 96=A65 3J 2 7C6D9 H2G6 @7 42D9 324< :?E@ E96 E649 D64E@C 2D EC256CD D?2A FA 2== E9:?8D px[ 96=A65 3J DE2?5@FE 62C?:?8D 7C@> &$ 8:2?ED :?4=F5:?8 |:4C@D@7E[ pAA=6 2?5 p=A9236E]k^Am
kAm%@<J@VD }:<<6: D@2C65 >@C6 E92? 7:G6 A6C46?E 2D :?G6DE@CD E96C6 C6EFC?65 7C@> 2 =@?8 9@=:52J[ H:E9 E649 :?G6DE>6?E E:E2? $@7Eq2?< C@4<6E:?8 >@C6 E92? `d A6C46?E H9:=6 49:A\=:?<65 7:C>D %@<J@ t=64EC@? 2?5 p5G2?E6DE 2=D@ C2E496E65 FA 3:8 82:?D]k^Am
kAm$6@F= 6IE6?565 (65?6D52JVD DFC86 E92E E@@< :E A2DE f[___ A@:?ED 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6[ H:E9 $2>DF?8 2=D@ FA 7@==@H:?8 :ED >6E6@C:4 C:D6 E@ A2DD E96 S` EC:==:@? >2C<6E 42A:E2=:D2E:@? >2C<]k^Am
kAmw@?8 z@?8[ $92?892:[ $J5?6J[ $:?82A@C6[ %2:A6:[ (6==:?8E@?[ |2?:=2 2?5 y2<2CE2 2=D@ 4=@4<65 FA 3:8 82:?D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@DA64E @7 4962A6C @:= AC:46D E6>A6C65 H@CC:6D 23@FE :?7=2E:@?[ H9:49 2=D@ 96=A65 8@=5 C2==J >@C6 E92? E9C66 A6C46?E (65?6D52J]Â k^Am
kAm$E6A96? x??6D 2E $!x pDD6E |2?286>6?E D2:5 QEC256CD 288C6DD:G6=J 6>3C2465 E96 :562 E92E E96 xC2? H2C >2J 7:?2==J 36 D9:7E:?8 7C@> >:DD:=6 EC2;64E@C:6D E@ ?68@E:2E:@? E23=6D[ H9:=6 E96 px 7C6?KJ D:>F=E2?6@FD=J A@FC65 ;6E 7F6= @?E@ E96 C:D< C2==JQ]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 C6DF=E H2D @?6 @7 E9@D6 C2C6 D6DD:@?D H96C6 ?62C=J 6G6CJ >24C@ 5@>:?@ 76== :? A6C764E D6BF6?46] ~:= 4@==2AD65[ 3@?5D C2==:65[ E96 5@==2C D2?<[ 8@=5 6IA=@565 9:896CQ[ 2?5 DE@4<D DFC865]k^Am
kAmx?G6DE@CD :? %@<J@ H6C6 2=D@ 4=@D6=J H2E49:?8 E96 J6? 27E6C DA64F=2E:@? @7 :?E6CG6?E:@? 3J E96 y2A2?6D6 8@G6C?>6?E E@ AC@A FA E96 36=628F6C65 4FCC6?4J]k^Am
kAm%96 F?:E[ H9:49 92D 366? 9:E 3J DFC8:?8 @:= AC:46D 2?5 2 CFD9 E@ E96 D276\92G6? 5@==2C[ 9:E 2 `_\>@?E9 9:89 282:?DE E96 8C66?324< (65?6D52J[ :? E96 =2E6DE @7 2 D6C:6D @7 DA:<6D :? C646?E 52JD E92E 92G6 7F6==65 CF>@FCD E92E @77:4:2=D 92G6 AC@G:565 DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E DA6?E Sba\Sbg 3:==:@? 3FJ:?8 J6? :? E96 >2C<6E =2DE %9FCD52J[ =@42= >65:2 C6A@CE65[ BF@E:?8 q2?< @7 y2A2? 52E2]k^Am
kAmpEDFD9: |:>FC2[ y2A2?VD E@A 4FCC6?4J @77:4:2=[ @? %9FCD52J 564=:?65 E@ 4@>>6?E[ =@42= >65:2 C6A@CE65]k^Am
k9am\ z6J 7:8FC6D 2E 2C@F?5 _ab_Â v|% \k^9am
kAm%@<J@ \ }:<<6: aadi &! d]f A6C46?E 2E ea[h`d]gf W3C62<Xk^Am
kAmw@?8 z@?8 \ w2?8 $6?8 x?56Ii &! `]d A6C46?E 2E ae[dhg]d_Â k^Am
kAm$92?892: \ r@>A@D:E6i &! _]a A6C46?E 2E c[`ef]eak^Am
kAm(6DE %6I2D x?E6C>65:2E6i u{p% 2E Shd]_g 2 32CC6=k^Am
kAmqC6?E }@CE9 $62 rCF56i &! _]` A6C46?E 2E S`_`]ba 2 32CC6=k^Am
kAms@==2C^J6?i s~(} 2E `de]ab J6? 7C@> `de]bh J6? @? (65?6D52Jk^Am
kAmtFC@^5@==2Ci &! 2E S`]`fde 7C@> S`]`fdak^Am
kAm!@F?5^5@==2Ci &! 2E S`]be__ 7C@> S`]bdhck^Am
kAmtFC@^A@F?5i s~(} 2E ge]ca A6?46 7C@> ge]cd A6?46k^Am
kAm52?^;>k^Am
