Asian Stocks Rally on Tariff Talks and Macro Data in Focus

Asian equities recovered on Thursday as optimism around U.S. tariff negotiations coincided with key macro releases and central bank scrutiny. Investors also eyed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TW:2330) upcoming Q1 results for insights into the chip sector's momentum.

Tariff Talks Ease Some Concerns

• U.S.-Japan Negotiations: President Trump said “big progress” was made in talks with a Japanese trade delegation, marking the start of formal negotiations to resolve U.S. tariff tensions.

• China Open to Dialogue: A Bloomberg report revealed Beijing is willing to begin trade talks—provided the U.S. grants it “more respect.”

Macro Highlights

• Bank of Korea Rate Decision: All eyes were on Seoul as the Bank of Korea met to set its policy rate amid global policy divergence.

• Japan Trade Data: March exports and imports figures were released, reflecting early signs of trade flows under the new tariff regime.

• Australia Jobs Report: Employment data for March showed whether labor market strength can offset rising household pressures.

Market Performance

• Japan:

  • Nikkei 225: +1.1%

  • TOPIX: +1.0%

• Australia: S&P/ASX 200: +0.5%

• Singapore: Straits Times Index: +0.6%

• China:

  • Shanghai Composite: +0.2%

  • CSI 300: Flat

• Hong Kong: Hang Seng: +1.7%

• India: Nifty 50 opened -0.4%

U.S. futures also traded higher after Wednesday's sharp declines in major benchmarks.

Sector and Company Watch

• Tech & Autos: Continued sensitivity to tariff exemptions kept semiconductor and automotive stocks in focus ahead of TSMC's earnings release.

• Financials: Banks and insurers remained cautious around central bank decisions and trade-driven growth risks.

Track Key Economic Releases

To follow these and other important macro indicators—like interest rate announcements, trade stats, and jobs data—use the
🔗 Economics Calendar - Economics Data API from Financial Modeling Prep.
This provides real‑time scheduling and historical data on global economic events.

Asian markets rallied on the back of easing trade rhetoric and a slate of pivotal economic updates, but upcoming data releases and TSMC's results will be critical in determining if the rebound can be sustained.