Asian equities finished mostly higher on Thursday, with strong results from US chipmaker Nvidia helping ease concerns about slowing artificial intelligence demand.
Gains across the region were, however, tempered by worries over Federal Reserve independence and reports suggesting Mexico plans to raise tariffs on Chinese imports as part of its 2026 budget proposal.
Hong Kong declines as Meituan slumps
Hong Kong stocks retreated as price wars in the food delivery and electric vehicle sectors weighed on sentiment, alongside Nvidia’s cautious outlook.
The Hang Seng Index dropped 0.8 percent to close at 24,998.82, marking its third consecutive day of losses.
The Hang Seng Tech Index slipped 0.9 percent.
Among major movers, on-demand services giant Meituan plunged 12.6 percent to HK$101.70 after posting weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings.
Its rivals in the delivery space also came under pressure, with Alibaba Group Holding sliding 4.7 percent to HK$115.80 and JD.com falling 5 percent to HK$115.20.
Chinese shares advanced as optimism grew over localization in the chip sector.
Cambricon Technologies surged 15.7 percent and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. climbed 11 percent. T
he benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.1 percent to 3,843.60, while the CSI 300 Index jumped 1.8 percent.
Japan supported by Buffett stake boost
Japanese markets advanced, aided by fresh investments from billionaire investor Warren Buffett.
The Nikkei average recovered from early losses to finish 0.73 percent higher at 42,828.79, while the broader Topix index added 0.65 percent to 3,089.78.
Mitsubishi Corp gained 1.9 percent after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed it had raised its stake in the trading house to 10.23 percent from 9.74 percent.
Rival Mitsui & Co rose 1.2 percent. Technology investor SoftBank rallied 3.2 percent, and chipmaking equipment supplier Tokyo Electron advanced just over 2 percent.
The Japanese government said economic revitalisation minister Ryosei Akazawa cancelled a planned trip to the United States for tariff negotiations due to technical reasons.
Other regional markets
South Korean stocks ended modestly higher after the Bank of Korea held interest rates steady, as widely expected, and raised its 2025 growth forecast.
The Kospi index edged up 0.29 percent to 3,196.32, with financial, defense and shipbuilding shares among the top gainers.
Australian markets also managed small gains, supported by banking stocks that offset declines in energy and mining.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.22 percent to 8,980, while the broader All Ordinaries Index gained 0.11 percent to 9,241.10.
India’s Sensex and Nifty closed lower on Thursday as weak investor sentiment followed the United States’ decision to impose higher tariffs on India.
The Sensex fell 705.97 points, or 0.87 percent, to end at 80,080.57, while the Nifty declined 170.85 points, or 0.69 percent, to settle at 24,541.20.
Among the major laggards were Shriram Finance, HCL Technologies, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Tata Motors and Tata Consultancy Services, which slipped as much as 3 percent during intraday trade.
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