SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Japan leads gains in Asian markets Friday as optimism over planned Washington-Tehran talks lifts risk appetite, even as lingering supply concerns keep sentiment in check. This shift toward diplomatic engagement disrupts the recent pattern of defensive trading, as investors weigh the potential for a breakthrough in the Islamabad summit against persistent geopolitical friction.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 jumped 1.84 percent, led by gains in semiconductor and large-cap stocks following strength in American tech shares. Despite the strong headline gain, broader market breadth remained weak, with declines outnumbering advances on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime Market.
In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 1.4 percent to close at 5,858.9, after touching an intraday high of 5,918.59 and a low of 5,850.83. Foreign investors led the rally, buying 1.1 trillion won, while retail and institutional investors sold 1.23 trillion won and 293.8 billion won, respectively.
Sector gains were led by telecom equipment and display panel stocks, which jumped 8.34 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, while themes such as optical communication and shipping surged more than 12 percent and 9 percent. Among large caps, Samsung Electronics rose 1 percent to 206,000 won, while SK hynix gained 2.9 percent to 1,027,000 won. Hyundai Motor added 2 percent, and Hanwha Aerospace climbed 3.9 percent. In contrast, LG Energy Solution and Samsung Biologics fell.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 1.6 percent to close at 1,093.63, extending gains throughout the session. On the KOSDAQ, institutions bought 93.1 billion won, while individuals and foreign investors sold 82.3 billion won and 1.9 billion won, respectively. The Korean won weakened 0.5 percent to 1,483.9 per dollar.
Overnight, major American indexes closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rising about 0.6 to 0.8 percent. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index advanced 2.1 percent, supporting gains in Seoul chipmakers.
Oil prices rose, with Brent crude climbing 1.8 percent to 97.7 dollars a barrel and West Texas Intermediate gaining 1.8 percent to 99.6 dollars, as supply concerns persisted amid tensions in the Middle East. Despite the gains, prices are on track for a weekly decline of more than 10 percent following a Washington-Tehran ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index fell 7 percent to 19.57, signaling easing risk sentiment, though it remained elevated enough to suggest lingering caution among investors.
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