Asian Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Returns, Australia Hits Record High Ahead of RBI Decision

Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Tuesday as investors cautiously returned to technology stocks after July’s AI-driven selloff, while Australia’s strong gains helped offset weakness in Japan and Hong Kong. Improved sentiment followed another rally on Wall Street, where technology shares extended their rebound on the back of upbeat corporate earnings and strong U.S. economic data.

Investor confidence was boosted after Palantir raised its full-year revenue and profit forecasts, reinforcing optimism generated by recent strong results from Microsoft and Alphabet. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high after U.S. manufacturing activity expanded at its fastest pace in more than four years during July. Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 futures also advanced during Asian trading.

Chinese equities outperformed regional markets as technology stocks recovered from Monday’s sharp losses. The CSI 300 climbed 0.6%, while the Shanghai Composite remained nearly flat. Major tech names including Foxconn Industrial Internet, BOE Technology, SMIC, iFlytek, and Luxshare Precision posted gains as investors bought back AI-related shares.

Hong Kong stocks were mixed despite Alibaba unveiling its largest artificial intelligence model, Qwen3.8-Max, which the company said surpassed competing models from Anthropic and Moonshot on several benchmarks while offering lower costs. Alibaba shares gained modestly after Monday’s rally, while Tencent and Xiaomi declined, leaving the Hang Seng Index down 0.6%.

South Korea’s KOSPI recovered from steeper early losses to trade 0.3% lower after Monday’s sharp decline, with Samsung Electronics holding steady and SK Hynix edging higher. Citi analysts noted that sentiment across Asian technology stocks remains divided, although improving confidence in artificial intelligence could support further gains.

Japan continued to lag regional peers, with both the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX falling around 0.6%. Kioxia Holdings advanced, but declines in Murata Manufacturing, Sony, and TDK weighed on the broader market.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 outperformed, reaching a record high as lithium miners surged on stronger commodity sentiment. Pilbara Minerals, Liontown Resources, Core Lithium, and European Lithium all posted solid gains.

Investors are now focused on the Reserve Bank of India’s policy decision, U.S. labor market data, and earnings from SpaceX, Disney, Uber, and Airbnb, which are expected to provide fresh insights into the economic outlook, Federal Reserve policy, and continued AI investment trends.