Asian markets traded mostly higher in early deals on Monday, as soft US economic data cooled Federal Reserve interest rate hike expectations and kindled technology shares. Strong artificial intelligence demand and gains in chip-related stocks also lifted the indices. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rebounded after four straight sessional losses. Stock markets of South Korea and Indonesia were closed for a holiday.
Nikkei up by 197.20 points or 0.29% to 68,911.00, Hang Seng rose by 409.15 points or 1.60% to 25,526.00, Taiwan weighted lifted by 268.73 points or 0.59% to 46,079.74, Shanghai Composite added by 33.01 points or 0.84% to 3,960.19, and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI index climbed by 2.41 points or 0.14% to 1,729.80.
On the flip side, Straits Times down by 21.31 points or 0.37% to 5,722.28.