Asian markets settle mostly higher on Tuesday
Kospi shares surged over 2% to a record high after data showed South Korea’s exports grew 49.4% year-on-year in the first 20 days of April
Asian markets settled mostly higher on Tuesday, even as tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated ahead of the April 22 ceasefire deadline. US President Donald Trump has signalled that he is unlikely to extend the truce with Iran if no agreement is reached before its expiry Wednesday evening, Washington time. He further threatened to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges if the deal is not finalized. Markets were awaiting the release of US retail sales data and a confirmation hearing for Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh later in the day. Kospi shares surged over 2% to a record high after data showed South Korea’s exports grew 49.4% year-on-year in the first 20 days of April. The surge was driven by a sharp rebound in semiconductor shipments, which jumped over 180%, reinforcing optimism over the earnings outlook for the country’s key tech sector.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 4,085.08 | 2.95 | 0.07 |
| Hang Seng | 26,487.48 | 126.41 | 0.48 |
| Jakarta Composite | 7,559.38 | -34.73 | -0.46 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,715.33 | 13.03 | 0.77 |
| Nikkei 225 | 59,349.17 | 524.28 | 0.89 |
| Straits Times | 5,014.96 | 10.89 | 0.22 |
| KOSPI Composite | 6,388.47 | 169.38 | 2.72 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 37,605.11 | 646.31 | 1.75 |
