Asia-Pacific markets saw widespread gains Thursday, buoyed by Trump's delayed auto tariffs and China's stimulus, mirroring positive global market sentiment. Caution also built ahead of the release of Chinese trade data on Friday, amid escalating trade tensions with the US. Japan ( NKY:IND ) rose 0.87% to surpass 37,800, while the broader Topix Index gained 1% to 2,745 on Thursday, marking a second consecutive session of gains. The Japanese yen traded near 149 per dollar on Thursday, staying close to its strongest levels in five months. China ( SHCOMP ) rose 1.18% to surpass 3,370, while the Shenzhen Component gained 1.1% to 10,827 on Thursday, marking a third consecutive session of gains, and the offshore yuan Mainland stocks rallied after US President Donald Trump granted tariff concessions for certain automakers, raising optimism for potential trade relief. Traders keenly added new positions after China projected a 5% GDP growth for 2025 during a parliamentary session, keeping the same forecast as 2024 despite trade tensions with the US. Moreover, Beijing announced plans to issue CNY 1.3 trillion in ultra-long special treasury bonds to boost demand and support infrastructure projects. Hong Kong ( HSI ) rose 2.84% to 24,115 in Thursday morning deals, marking the third session of gains while reaching their highest level in over three years. India ( SENSEX ) rose 0.05%, almost flat, trading around 73,786 in morning trade on Thursday in volatile conditions, after surging in the previous session. Australia ( AS51 ) fell 0.57% dropped 0.57% to close at 8,095 on Thursday, marking its lowest level in ten weeks, driven by significant losses in energy, consumer, and technology stocks. The Australian dollar rose above $0.634 on Thursday, reaching a one-week high after data revealed that Australia’s trade balance exceeded expectations in January, driven by accelerated export growth and a decline in imports . Australia's goods exports grew 1.3% from the previous month to an eleven-month high of AUD 44.53 billion in January 2025. Australia's imports of goods fell by 0.3% month-over-month to AUD 38.91 billion in January 2025, shifting from a surge of 5.9% in the previous month. Private house approvals in Australia rose by 1.1% month-on-month to 9,042 units in January 2025. South Korea’s inflation rate eased to 2% in February 2025, down from a six-month high of 2.2% in January. However, it came in higher than market expectations of 1.95%. In the U.S., on Wednesday, all three major indexes ended higher in the wake of President Trump’s announcement of a one-month exemption on auto tariffs for Mexico and Canada. U.S. stock futures remained stable on Thursday, following a rebound in major averages in the previous session: Dow -0.07% ; S&P 500 -0.15% ; Nasdaq -0.29% . On the data front, traders are closely watching Friday's monthly jobs report after ADP data revealed that the US private sector added just 77,000 jobs in February, the smallest increase in seven months. Currencies: ( JPY:USD ), ( CNY:USD ), ( AUD:USD ), ( INR:USD ), ( HKD:USD ), ( NZD:USD ). More on Asia: Australia’s trade balance exceeds expectations, export growth accelerates and imports decline Australia’s economy grows by 0.6% in Q4, surpasses expectations Japan’s services sector grows at fastest pace in six months, driven by strong demand China services growth unexpectedly strengthens; sets 2025 GDP growth target around 5% China hits back with additional tariffs up to 15% after Trump's latest move
