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Asian equities advanced on Thursday, lifted by a renewed rally in global technology stocks and growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December. The positive sentiment followed Wall Street’s continued rebound, with major U.S. indexes marking a fourth consecutive session of gains and S&P 500 futures edging up roughly 0.1% in early Asian trade.
Chinese markets saw modest gains as investors positioned themselves for potential new stimulus measures from Beijing, even as concerns over the country’s property market resurfaced. The Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 rose between 0.5% and 0.7%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.4%. Tech and industrial stocks supported the uptick, but persistent pressure in real estate limited broader upside. China Vanke shares dropped more than 6% after investors aggressively sold off its bonds amid doubts about the company’s ability to meet upcoming debt obligations. Vanke’s request to delay several bond payments marked a first for the developer, fueling fears of one of the sector’s worst potential defaults. Other property names, including Sunac China and China Overseas, also slipped over 1%.
Weak economic indicators in recent months have intensified expectations that Beijing will introduce more support for the slowing economy, with reports suggesting additional property market assistance and consumer-focused subsidies are under consideration.
Across the region, technology-led gains helped lift broader Asian benchmarks. South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 1.3% after the Bank of Korea held interest rates steady, though policymakers remained divided on future cuts. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also gained 1.3%, supported by stronger tech sentiment and eased diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Shares of SoftBank Group surged 3.6% as they continued to recover from recent lows.
Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.1%, held back by concerns the Reserve Bank of Australia may delay further rate cuts following stronger inflation data. Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.3%, while India’s Nifty 50 futures added 0.1% after a solid prior session.
