^{Photo: The Independent}

Japanese Tech Stocks Lead Regional Gains

Japanese technology shares mounted a strong rally on Wednesday, mirroring the sharp rebound seen in major U S tech indexes overnight. SoftBank was the standout performer, soaring more than eight percent and ending a three day losing streak. The investment giant’s gains helped propel the Nikkei two twenty five to a one point five four percent rise, the strongest advance among Asia Pacific benchmarks.

Semiconductor related names followed suit. Tokyo Electron, a key supplier of advanced chipmaking tools used by Nvidia’s manufacturing partners, climbed more than five percent. Lasertec surged up to seven percent, while Renesas Electronics added more than seven percent amid stronger demand signals for automotive and industrial chips. Chip testing equipment provider Advantest also rose as much as five percent, reinforcing the sector wide momentum.

The broader Topix index, however, remained slightly lower, reflecting selective buying concentrated in large cap tech names.

Bitcoin Rebounds Strongly

Digital assets staged a major rebound after a steep sell off the previous day. Bitcoin jumped more than seven percent, convincingly reclaiming the ninety thousand dollar level and last trading near ninety two thousand nine hundred eighty. Analysts attribute the recovery to short covering and renewed institutional accumulation during U S trading hours.

Mixed Performance Across Asia

Regional markets delivered a varied performance. South Korea’s Kospi gained one point zero six percent, supported by stronger than expected revisions to the country’s third quarter growth figures. Updated data from the Bank of Korea showed year on year GDP expanding one point eight percent, slightly above the initial estimate of one point seven percent. The Kosdaq, however, slipped zero point one four percent as small cap tech names lagged.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also delivered a nationally televised address marking the first anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law declaration attempt, adding a political dimension to the day’s economic backdrop.

Australia’s S&P ASX two hundred edged up zero point one one percent despite weaker than anticipated GDP figures. The country’s economy expanded two point one percent year on year in the third quarter, matching its fastest pace since late twenty twenty three but narrowly missing the Reuters poll forecast of two point two percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell zero point nine five percent amid continued pressure on property and technology names, while mainland China’s CSI three hundred held just above flat, reflecting cautious sentiment ahead of upcoming economic releases.

India’s equity markets also softened. The Nifty fifty slipped zero point four eight percent and the BSE Sensex declined zero point three two percent. The Indian rupee weakened for a fifth straight day, depreciating roughly zero point three percent to about ninety point one five seven against the dollar.

U S Market Influence

Investors in Asia took their cues from Wall Street, where major indexes bounced back from earlier losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose zero point three nine percent, the S and P five hundred gained zero point two five percent and the Nasdaq Composite advanced zero point five nine percent, driven by renewed strength in megacap tech stocks.

U S equity futures were little changed during early Asian trading hours, suggesting a steady if cautious continuation of the upward momentum.

Overall, Wednesday’s session underscored the strong influence of U S tech performance on Asian markets, with SoftBank and semiconductor related companies leading the charge as global risk appetite improved.