Asian stock markets climbed on Thursday, buoyed by a tech rally on Wall Street, upbeat earnings, and hopes of US rate cuts, as investor confidence followed Trump’s 100% chip tariff threat came with exemptions for several companies.Japan’s shares hit a new all-time high, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.4% and China’s blue-chip index rose 0.3%.The rally followed a solid performance on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Nasdaq jumped 1.2%. US stock futures continued the momentum, with both S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures up 0.3% each.Taiwan’s TSMC surged nearly 5% after the island’s economic officials said the company was not affected by upcoming trade actions. TSMC, which is building a massive facility in Arizona, has pledged up to $165 billion in US investment its largest ever abroad, Reuters reported.Apple-linked stocks also rose after the tech giant announced plans to invest an additional $100 billion in the US , increasing its total commitment to $600 billion over four years.In other markets, the US dollar edged up slightly, with the dollar index at 98.245. Gold gained 0.4% to about $3,382 per ounce, supported by the softer dollar. Oil prices also recovered some ground: Brent crude rose 0.3% to $67.09, while US WTI crude climbed 0.3% to $64.57 per barrel.
