Asian equity markets opened on a mixed note on Thursday, with Japan’s Nikkei surging over 2% after reports that the Trump administration will amend a presidential order on tariffs and reimburse mistakenly collected levies. The move lifted investor sentiment, especially in sectors sensitive to global trade.
The Nikkei jumped 858 points, or 2.09%, to 41,917, leading regional gains. In contrast, Hang Seng Futures fell 0.59%, while KOSPI dipped 0.32% and Taiex Futures slipped 0.04%. India’s Gift Nifty indicated a flat-to-negative start, down 30 points or 0.12%.
In the U.S., technology stocks helped lift sentiment as Apple led gains on Wall Street, helping Nasdaq Futures rise 0.31%, while Dow Futures gained 0.21%. Small-cap U.S. stocks also performed well, with the Russell 2000 Futures climbing 0.53%.
European futures were in the green early Thursday, with DAX Futures up 0.29% and FTSE Futures inching higher by 0.05%.
The overnight performance in U.S. markets was mixed. The Dow fell 224 points (-0.51%), while the Nasdaq added 73 points (+0.35%), driven by strength in tech counters.
