Asian markets settled higher on Friday tracking Wall Street’s gains overnight amid growing optimism regarding US-Iran diplomatic efforts. The Nikkei 225 jumped, led by AI and chip-linked shares, with SoftBank Group shares surged 11.89% after reports indicated that two of its portfolio companies, OpenAI and SB Energy, are progressing toward US initial public offerings. Japan’s core inflation slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in April 2026, marking a four-year low, potentially weakening the case for an early rate hike by the Bank of Japan. South Korean shares ended marginally higher after a measure of consumer sentiment rose in May.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 4,112.90 | 35.62 | 0.87 |
| Hang Seng | 25,606.03 | 219.51 | 0.86 |
| Jakarta Composite | 6,162.04 | 67.10 | 1.09 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,712.67 | 4.31 | 0.25 |
| Nikkei 225 | 63,339.07 | 1,654.93 | 2.68 |
| Straits Times | 5,068.15 | 22.44 | 0.44 |
| KOSPI Composite | 7,847.71 | 32.12 | 0.41 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 42,267.97 | 899.76 | 2.18 |
