In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index opened up 131 points, or 0.5 percent, at 26,029.
The China enterprises index was up 55 points, or 0.6 percent, at 8,786 while the tech index was 42 points, or 0.9 percent, higher at 4,971.
Up north, the Shanghai Composite Index opened up 23 points, or 0.6 percent, at 4,135.
The Shenzhen Component Index was up 215 points, or 1.5 percent, at 15,323 while the ChiNext Index was up 83 points, or 2.3 percent, at 3,760.
In Seoul, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 416 points, or six percent, at 7,353 at one point before midday after opening up 156 points, or 2.25 percent, at 7,093, with a rally in chipmakers helping the benchmark to top the key milestone of 7,000 for the first time.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose more than 10 percent each, with both chipmakers hitting all-time highs.
Samsung Electronics topped a US$1 trillion market value, overtaking Berkshire Hathaway and closing in on Walmart.
The gains came after Trump said he would briefly pause an operation escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil and has been blockaded by Iran since late February, triggering a global energy crisis.
The news sent Brent crude tumbling 1.2 percent to US$108.51 per barrel while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 2.3 percent to a fresh record, led by Kospi’s 5.1 percent surge.
“Markets embraced a sense of calm and stability overnight, with the risk of escalation in the Middle East conflict viewed as having diminished after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ensured the ceasefire was still in place, despite the US and Iran trading blows yesterday,” analysts from Westpac wrote in a research note.
“This put some wind in the sails for risk sentiment, supporting a rebound in equities across the US and Europe at the same time as crude oil prices partially unwound yesterday’s climb.”
“Investors bought and continue to add to positioning in the 2026 winners,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group in Melbourne.
“There has been some buying in S&P 500 materials stocks, but it’s tech that continues to attract the bulk of flows, notably in Apple and the memory plays.”
“Due to the capex spend we are seeing from hyperscalers in the US, the earnings growth trajectory for sectors such as semiconductors, tech hardware, industrials and materials in Asia exceeds anything I have seen in a long time,” said Rushil Khanna, head of equity investments for Asia at Ostrum, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers.
“This capex is leading to material value creation in Asia as the provider of the picks and shovels to the AI ecosystem.” (Reuters/Xinhua)
