Investing.com -Asia-Pacific markets experienced a robust start to their day, following a resurgence in US stocks ovenright.
The S&P/ASX 200, KOSPI 200 added 0.4% and 0.3% respectively while the Nikkei 225 remained closed for a public holiday.
Investor confidence in major tech firms was boosted by Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) record sales figures this week. Similarly, after the market closed, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) reported better-than-expected quarterly sales and earnings, leading to a surge in its shares following authorization for a $110 billion stock buyback.
In the coming days, investor focus will be on the April jobs report. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell underscored a hiring slowdown as a sign of high-interest rates curbing demand, prompting renewed analysis of labor market trends.
On the individual stocks front, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) led the pack on Thursday, with its shares soaring 9.7% following the announcement that its sales and profits exceeded expectations. Moderna's shares climbed 12.7% on the back of a positive quarterly sales report and projected sales increase later in the year.
Paramount shares shot up by 13% following a $26 billion all-cash offer from Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management.
In commodities, Brent Crude Oil rose by 0.3% to US$83.71 a barrel, while Gold dropped 0.8% to US$2,146.09.
In the bond market, Australian 2 and 10 Year government bond yields fell to 4.12% and 4.44% respectively. US Treasury notes also dipped, with the 2 Year yield at 4.87% and the 10 Year yield at 4.58%. Chinese markets remained closed due to the Labor Day public holiday.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rose by 2.5% to 18207.13, its highest level since last November, in line with US future trends. In contrast, the Nikkei closed 0.1% lower at 38236.07, with Mazda Motor and TDK experiencing declines of 3.2% and 3.0% respectively.
India's Sensex rose slightly, gaining 0.2% to reach 74611.11, following the Federal Reserve's less aggressive stance on interest rates. Among the major stocks, Tata Motors and HDFC Bank were gainers, while ICICI Bank and Wipro saw losses.