BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Asian shares ended mostly higher on Thursday even as regional trading volumes remained thin amid the Lunar New Year holidays in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Regional sentiment was underpinned by easing AI concerns and a slew of upbeat U.S. economic data released overnight.
The dollar was firm and gold added to sharp overnight gains, rising above $5,000 an ounce after reports suggested that the U.S. military is prepared to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend. Oil extended gains after climbing more than 4 percent on Wednesday.
Japanese markets advanced after data showed machinery orders surged at a record pace in December, driven by large industrial orders. A softer yen and Wall Street's AI-chip optimism also boosted sentiment.
The Nikkei average rose 0.57 percent to 57,467.83 while the broader Topix index gained 1.18 percent to close at 3,852.09. Tech stocks led the surge, with SoftBank rising 2.6 percent and Tokyo Electron gaining 2.9 percent.
Advantest slumped 3.6 percent after the company said it is responding to a ransomware cybersecurity incident that may have affected certain systems on its network.
South Korea's benchmark surged to a record, led by heavyweight semiconductor names on easing AI-disruption fears.
The Kospi average soared 3.09 percent to 5,677.25, surpassing the 5,600-point mark for the first time ever as traders returned to their desks after a three-day break for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Semiconductor and other blue-chip tech shares topped the gainers, list, with Samsung Electronics rallying 4.9 percent, SK Hynix adding 1.6 percent and Hyundai Motor rising 2.8 percent.
Australian markets rose notably to hit a four-month high as new data showed employment growth moderated but remained resilient in January.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.88 percent to 9,086.20, extending gains for a fourth straight session. The broader All Ordinaries index settled 0.84 percent higher at 9,316.60.
National Australia Bank rallied 2.4 percent to extend gains from the previous session after reporting strong quarterly results.
BHP, the world's top copper producer, added 1.8 percent after reporting higher earnings and revenue for the half year ended 31 December 2025 and boosting guidance for 2026.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index ended up 1.49 percent at 13,444.20 after a dovish hold from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Overnight, U.S. stocks closed higher even as the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes showed officials remain divided about the outlook for interest rates, with many members cautioning that disinflation may be slow and uneven.
In economic releases, industrial production growth for January exceeded market expectations while new orders for manufactured durable goods declined less than expected in December and housing starts hit a five-month high, separate reports revealed.
Tech shares led the surge following Meta's announcement that it will deploy millions of Nvidia chips in its data center buildout.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.8 percent, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent and the Dow inched up 0.3 percent.
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