Asia-Pacific markets advanced on Thursday, extending their rally and pushing several benchmarks to record highs despite lingering concerns over artificial intelligence valuations and softer economic signals from Wall Street.
By 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was trading 0.5% higher, sitting just 0.3% below its October record closing high of 9,094.7.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.6%, resuming trade after a public holiday on Wednesday and extending its run to fresh record highs.
South Korea’s KOSPI 200 climbed 1.9%, also reaching a new peak.
Among economic releases, Japan’s producer price index rose 0.2% month-on-month, in line with market expectations.
The positive tone in Asia contrasted with a subdued performance in the United States overnight. On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, the S&P 500 finished virtually unchanged, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.2%.
In commodities, Brent crude settled 0.9% higher at US$69.40 per barrel, marking its highest level since August 2025. Spot gold rose 1.2% to $5,084.28 per ounce.
On Wednesday in mainland China, the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1% to 4,132.0, while the CSI 300 fell 0.2% to close at 4,713.8.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.3% to 27,266.4, while India’s BSE Sensex slipped 0.1% to 84,233.6.
European markets closed mixed. The UK’s FTSE 100 rallied 1.1% to a record close of 10,472.1, Germany’s DAX fell 0.5% to 24,856.2, and France’s CAC 40 eased 0.2% to 8,313.2.
