China Manufacturing PMI Contracts Again as Recovery Remains Fragile 
Ukraine Sanctions Chief Heads to Washington to Push Russia Bill 
Bank of England Sees Surge in Higher-Risk Collateral 
Australia GDP Beats Forecast, Boosting RBA Rate Hike Bets 
RBNZ Raises Interest Rate to 2.75%, Kiwi Dollar Slides 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Nears 160, Oil Surges 
India Manufacturing Growth Slows to Five-Year Low in August 
Asian Stocks Fall as Fed Rate Hike Bets and Iran Conflict Rattle Markets 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Fighting Fuels Supply Fears 
Treasury Yields Set to Stay High as Debt Supply Pressures Bond Market 
Japan Bond Yields Top 3% as Inflation, Fiscal Risks Rise 
Asian Currencies Weaken as Dollar Rises, Kiwi Slides After RBNZ Hike 
South Korea Unveils Record $597 Billion 2027 Budget to Boost AI and Chips 
Brazil, US Resume Tariff Talks as Trade Tensions Persist 
South Korea Inflation Rises to 3.1% in August 
Dollar Hits Two-Week High as Iran Conflict Lifts Oil and Bond Yields 
Global Markets Brace for Fed Rate Hike as Oil Tops $91 
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Asian stock markets advanced on Friday, led by a strong rebound in semiconductor shares, as investors shifted their focus from escalating Middle East tensions to the long-term growth outlook for artificial intelligence (AI) and global chip demand.
Despite renewed conflict after fresh U.S. strikes on Iran prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks against U.S.-aligned nations, market sentiment remained resilient. Investors continued to monitor risks to the Strait of Hormuz and global oil supplies but were encouraged by fresh signs that the AI investment cycle remains strong. U.S. futures reflected the positive mood, with Nasdaq 100 Futures rising 0.3% and S&P 500 Futures gaining 0.1% during Asian trading.
South Korea led regional gains as the KOSPI jumped 4.2%, recovering from a steep selloff that pushed the index into bear-market territory a day earlier. Samsung Electronics climbed 4.9%, while SK Hynix added 1.5% after pricing its $26.5 billion U.S. American depositary share (ADS) offering, which attracted demand more than seven times the available shares. The company’s new SKHY ticker gives U.S. investors direct exposure to one of Nvidia’s key high-bandwidth memory suppliers. SK Hynix shares remain up about 680% over the past year.
Technology sentiment also improved after Micron Technology announced plans to boost its U.S. investment to approximately $250 billion through 2035 to expand memory chip production, reinforcing confidence in AI-driven semiconductor demand.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed roughly 2%, while the TOPIX gained 0.7%, supported by reports that Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) may increase allocations to domestic equities. Murata Manufacturing rose nearly 4%, and Kioxia Holdings surged about 5.7% following Bain Capital’s exit from the memory chipmaker.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.8%, while China’s CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite posted modest gains as investors anticipated additional policy support and upcoming economic data. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7%, with uranium miners rallying after Australia and India agreed to strengthen cooperation on uranium exports, boosting optimism for long-term demand driven by the expanding global nuclear energy sector.
Investors are now preparing for a busy week of economic releases, including China’s GDP, trade, retail sales and industrial production data, Singapore’s advance GDP estimate, India’s inflation report, and the Bank of Korea’s policy decision, all of which could influence the next move in Asian financial markets.
