Asian stocks rose modestly on Thursday, lifted by Nvidia’s historic rally to a US$4 trillion valuation, while investors remained largely unfazed by a fresh round of U.S. tariff announcements from President Donald Trump.
Market Snapshot
MSCI Asia-Pacific Index (ex-Japan): +0.2%
Nikkei 225 (Japan): -0.56%
CSI 300 (China): +0.2%
Hang Seng (Hong Kong): +0.1%
EURO STOXX 50 Futures: +0.18%
FTSE Futures: +0.33%
Tariff Moves Brushed Off
Trump unveiled plans for 50% tariffs on copper and Brazilian exports, along with notices to seven smaller trading partners.
Despite the headlines, market volatility was limited.
Jeff Ng, SMBC, noted that investors have grown “numb” to tariff threats and remain optimistic about potential negotiations or reversals.
“A lot of these announcements start with eye-catching numbers but are not totally final,” said Ng.
Nvidia Hits US$4 Trillion
Nvidia became the first company to hit US$4 trillion in market cap, reinforcing its dominance in AI and tech-led gains.
The surge has been a driving force behind broader market optimism, especially in Asia.
Fed Minutes Signal Rate Cuts
Federal Reserve minutes show that most officials expect rate cuts later this year.
Any inflation caused by tariffs is expected to be “temporary or modest.”
This backdrop is supportive for equities, according to analysts, especially with a resilient U.S. labor market.
Currency Moves
USD/JPY: Fell 0.4% to 145.79
EUR/USD: Rose to 1.1742
GBP/USD: Edged up to 1.3605
Brazilian real: Dropped to a one-month low at 5.5826/USD due to tariff risks
“The greenback is still overvalued and may weaken further,” said JPMorgan’s Julia Wang.
Bitcoin Near Record High
Bitcoin: US$111,234.63
Ether: +1.3% to US$2,775.54
Clients are taking a “measured approach” to crypto, said OKX’s Singapore CEO Gracie Lin, with Bitcoin as the top pick.
Commodities Mixed
Brent crude: -0.16% to US$70.08
US crude: -0.22% to US$68.23
Spot gold: +0.3% to US$3,322.69
Takeaway
Despite escalating tariff tensions, investor sentiment remains resilient, with tech momentum and rate-cut hopesdriving Asian equities. The market focus is shifting from geopolitics to earnings season, where fundamentals may take center stage.
Comments
Post a Comment