Asian equities rebounded, with South Korea leading gains after its worst rout on record, as markets regained some composure following a surge in volatility sparked by the Middle East conflict.
South Korea’s Kospi Index surged 10% to lift the broader MSCI Asia Pacific Index 2.7%, the first increase in four sessions.
The rally tracked Wall Street’s gains on Wednesday after stronger economic data soothed inflation concerns.
The advance appeared tentative, with equity-index futures for the US and Europe edging lower, while the dollar — reasserting its role as a haven in times of crisis — strengthened. Chinese shares also traded higher even as the country set its 2026 gross domestic product target at 4.5% to 5%, the lowest growth objective since 1991.
China also set its 2026 CPI target at about 2%. While sentiment in equities market rebounded, crude oil continued its advance. Gold and silver extended their gains amid concerns the conflict could be drawn out. Treasuries were also a touch weaker, with the yield on the 10-year rising by two basis points to 4.11%.
