[MARKET ANALYSIS] Asia-Pac stocks are mostly higher after the record highs on Wall St, amid tech strength and peace talk optimism
APAC Stocks: Positive
- Asia-Pac stocks mostly gained following the positive lead from Wall St, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq printed fresh all-time highs amid tech strength and peace talk optimism.
ASX 200: -0.1%
- Bucked the trend and gave back initial gains as notable outperformance in tech is offset by losses in energy, resources, materials, financials and miners.
Nikkei 225: +2.4%
- Rallied to a fresh record high after reclaiming the 59,000 status amid the hopes for a Middle East resolution and with the index led by the momentum in tech stocks.
Hang Seng & Shanghai Comp: Hang Seng +1.2% / Shanghai Comp +0.5%
- Chinese markets are higher with further upside seen as the dust settled from mixed Chinese GDP and activity data, in which GDP growth for Q1 missed expectations at 1.3% (exp. 1.4%), but GDP Y/Y topped forecasts and printed at 5.0% (exp. 4.8%), which is the high-end of China's official 2026 GDP growth target. Meanwhile, Industrial Production data for March was better-than-expected, but Retail Sales disappointed.
US Equity Futures: Positive
- Marginally extended on recent gains as the optimism regarding peace talks remained intact.
European Equity Futures +0.3%
- Indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.3% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.7% on Wednesday.
Context
The Asia-Pacific stock markets are buoyed by a strong performance on Wall Street, driven by tech sector gains and optimism surrounding peace talks. However, while the Nikkei 225 has reached a record high, the ASX 200 is underperforming due to weakness in key sectors like energy and financials. The mixed performance of Chinese GDP data adds a layer of complexity, suggesting that while overall sentiment is positive, individual market dynamics and sector performances could influence near-term trading decisions.
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