Asian Markets Show Resilience

In a surprising turn of events, major stock indexes across the Asia-Pacific region experienced significant gains during the afternoon trading session on Wednesday. This uptick comes as investors and market participants continue to assess the broader implications of the recent steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on local economies.

Corporate Earnings and Innovations on the Horizon

Amidst this economic backdrop, SoftBank is poised to unveil its quarterly financial results, stirring anticipation among investors. Additionally, Chinese tech behemoth Baidu is reportedly gearing up to introduce a next-generation AI model in the latter half of 2025, signaling a leap forward in technological innovation.

Market Performances Across the Region

Japan's Nikkei 225 saw a modest increase of 0.43%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged by an impressive 1.89%. South Korea's Kospi also enjoyed gains, rising by 0.32%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite indexes advanced by 0.28% and 0.67%, respectively. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed the day with a 0.61% increase, rounding off a day of positive market movements across the region.

On the currency front, the dollar strengthened against the yen, trading 0.67% higher at 7:19 am CET, with an exchange rate of ¥153.58750.