HK stocks climb on back of tech optimism, oil retreat

Asian stocks rose on Tuesday after a tech-fuelled rally lifted the Nasdaq to a record close, with a retreat in oil prices offering further support even as longer-dated Treasury yields hovered near multi-decade highs. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index climbed 239 points, or one percent, higher to open at 24,279. The tech index was up 42 points, or 1.02 percent, at 4,226 while the China enterprises index rose 79 points, or 0.99 percent, to 8,131. The benchmark's gains came as the euro languished near 17-month lows after briefly touching US$1.116 overnight, pressured by mounting fiscal concerns in France. Investors dumped French government bonds after an underwhelming budget, while political uncertainty deepened after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election. Brent crude was little changed at US$100 a barrel after losing 1.9 percent overnight as exports from the Middle East increased and the Group of Seven nations pledged to boost supplies. With mainland indices still closed for the National Day golden week holiday, the Nikkei in Tokyo inched up eight points, or 0.01 percent, to open at 69,954 before accelerating its upward trajectory to 256 points at one stage before lunch. In Seoul, the Kospi opened almost 41 points, or 0.58 percent, at 7,044 before trending down to be 20 points lower at one stage before noon. Nasdaq futures edged up 0.2 percent and S&P 500 futures rose 0.1 percent. The Nasdaq notched up a record close overnight, buoyed by softer-than-expected jobs data that dampened expectations for a rate hike from the Federal Reserve this month. AI heavyweight Nvidia climbed 2.1 percent, reaching a record-high close and ⁠boosting its market value to US$5.76 trillion. "The rally in the market was tech led once again, with ⁠the marginal easing of interest rate uncertainty along with a slight moderation in geopolitical risk allowing market participants to focus on the extraordinary earnings growth being delivered by AI names," said Kyle Rodda, a senior analyst at Capital.com. The third-quarter earnings season kicks off next ⁠week. Goldman Sachs estimated consensus forecasts point to 27 percent growth in S&P 500 earnings last quarter, with more than half that growth from companies benefiting from AI infrastructure spending. The relentless climb in US Treasury yields continued even as markets scaled back bets for an interest rate rise this month from the Federal Reserve to just 23 percent from 71 percent a week ago, after top policymakers stressed the need for more data before tightening again. US 10- and 30-year Treasury yields hit fresh 24-year highs overnight, capping a steady climb since mid-August driven by inflation and debt concerns. An ISM survey showed a measure of prices paid by services businesses for inputs jumped to the highest level in more than four years. The 10-year Treasury yield was steady in Asia at 5.3089 percent, after climbing three basis points overnight to hit 5.3493 percent, the highest since 2002, while 30-year yields held at 5.6622 percent having briefly reached 5.7029 percent overnight. (Reuters/Xinhua) Edited by Tony Sabine

2026-10-06 10:57:00