Tokyo: Asian stock markets rose on Thursday as investors awaited news on whether the United States and Iran would reach an agreement allowing oil tankers to resume transporting crude oil from the Middle East. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 3,402 points to 62,915.87 as markets reopened in Tokyo after the “Golden Week” holiday.

According to Yemen News Agency, the Nikkei has gained approximately 18% over the past three months and about 73% over the past year. This growth has been driven by strong buying of technology stocks that have benefited from the artificial intelligence boom.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index increased by 1.3% to 26,559.86. Australia’s S and P/ASX 200 index saw a gain of 0.9%, reaching 8,870.70. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi index experienced a decline of 0.4% to 7,353.08 points as traders sold shares to lock in profits after the benchmark index surged nearly 7% the previous day, surpassing the 7,000-point mark for the first time. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Taiex ind
ex rose by 2.1%.

The positive trend in Asian markets echoed Wall Street’s performance, where the S and P 500 index climbed 1.5%, marking its best daily performance in nearly a month and setting a new record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose by 1.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2%.