Asian stock benchmarks mostly advanced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, driven by artificial intelligence sector optimism and recovering oil prices.
Global investors awaited key U. S.
inflation data to gauge future Federal Reserve interest rate policy.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.3 percent to 66,318.81 during morning trading, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.9 percent to 8,791.30, according to the Associated Press.
Tokyo-listed SoftBank Group Corp.
, an investor in OpenAI, surged approximately 6 percent alongside gains in Japanese semiconductor firms Renesas Electronics and Rohm Co.
The Shanghai Composite rose 0.3 percent to 3,843.26 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.1 percent to 24,551.47.
South Korea's Kospi held flat at 6,875.84, while regional markets in Wellington, Taipei, Singapore, and Manila recorded early gains despite official figures showing Chinese manufacturing activity expanded for the first time since June.
The Asian advance followed a lower session on Wall Street on Tuesday, where the S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent to 7,670.84, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3 percent to 51,349.92, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1 percent to 26,797.54.
U. S.
Treasury yields touched 24-year highs, with the 10-year yield reaching 5.28 percent before settling at 5.25 percent, while 30-year yields surpassed 5.6 percent amid concerns over government spending, tech borrowing for AI investments, and persistent inflation above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target.
Crude oil prices fluctuated sharply as the ongoing war involving the U. S.
, Israel, and Iran constrained supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Benchmark U. S.
crude rose 0.23 percent to $89.59 per barrel, and Brent crude edged up 0.87 percent to $103.48 per barrel, recovering slightly after West Texas Intermediate fell below $90 per barrel on Tuesday following Saudi Arabia's partial restoration of its East-West pipeline capacity and an emergency oil reserve release by the U.
S. government.
Market analysts highlighted that strong economic fundamentals continue to support equity valuations despite macroeconomic pressures from energy costs and elevated fixed-income yields.
"While it is easy to focus on the macroeconomic headwinds of bond yields and oil, the underlying U.
S. economy remains remarkably resilient," said Tina Teng, market analyst at MooMoo.
Financial analysts also noted that recent adjustments in energy markets have not yet fully reflected across broader stock markets while supply routes slowly stabilize.
"The decline in crude should theoretically be a tailwind for risk, although that has not translated meaningfully into the broader equity tape," said Chris Weston, analyst at Pepperstone.
Weston added that despite stalled diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, reported oil flows are trending back toward pre-conflict levels alongside strategic reserve releases.
"While there appears to be little progress towards a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East, reported oil supply and flows are moving back towards pre-conflict levels," said Weston.
"Combined with Trump's move to release additional barrels from the (strategic petroleum reserve), this has driven a strong repricing in crude," Weston said.
Investors are monitoring upcoming economic indicators, including Personal Consumption Expenditures data, to assess inflation trends ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting scheduled for late October 2026.
