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Asian stock markets advanced on Friday, mirroring record highs on Wall Street, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged to a fresh peak ahead of the Bank of Japan’s expected rate hold.
Overnight, U.S. stocks closed at record levels, led by Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), which jumped over 20% after Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) unveiled a $5 billion investment and announced plans to collaborate on next-generation processors. Futures tied to major U.S. indexes traded largely flat as of 03:04 GMT.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1% to a record 45,852.75, marking its fourth straight weekly gain. The broader TOPIX index rose 0.8% to 3,187.98, also setting a new high. The BOJ is widely expected to keep rates steady at 0.5%, reflecting a cautious stance amid political and global economic uncertainty. Data showed Japan’s core consumer inflation eased to 2.7% in August from 3.1% in July, though it remained above the BOJ’s 2% target for the 30th consecutive month.
In China, chip stocks extended their rally after reports that regulators ordered tech firms to halt purchases of Nvidia’s AI chips. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (HK:0981) and Hua Hong Semiconductor (HK:1347) were among top gainers. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.3%, while the Shanghai Composite edged lower. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.2%.
Markets also drew support from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s first rate cut since December, trimming rates by 25 basis points to 4.00%–4.25%. The Fed signaled two more cuts this year and another in 2026, with Chair Jerome Powell emphasizing data-driven decisions.
Elsewhere, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7%, South Korea’s KOSPI slipped 0.5% after hitting record highs, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index remained steady. Futures for India’s Nifty 50 traded unchanged.
