Asia-Pacific stock markets rose across the board, with the Japanese stock market up more than 2% and the South Korean stock market reclaiming lost ground since the sharp drop on August 5th

On Wednesday, August 16, Asian stock markets opened higher, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index rising by 1%. Overnight, all three major U.S. stock indexes rose, with the S&P 500 Index rising for the sixth consecutive session.

【Update as of 9:00】

The Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index rose by 1% to 22,114.72 points.

The Straits Times Index in Singapore expanded its gains to 1%.

The Nikkei 225 Index surged by over 2.42% to 37,609.96, while the TOPIX Index rose by 1.97% to 2,651.97.

【Update as of 8:40】

Nikkei 225 Surges Over 2.6%, Leading Asian Stock Markets

The Nikkei 225 Index surged by over 2.6% to 37,710.84, while the TOPIX Index rose by 2.32% to 2,660.98.

The Japanese Yen traded sideways, with the USD/JPY pair down by 0.2% at 149.

Asian Markets Open Higher

The KOSPI in Seoul, South Korea, rose by 2% to 2,696.17, reclaiming all lost ground since the decline on August 5.

The Australian stock index S&P/ASX 200 rose by 1.31% to 7,968.70 points.

Oil Prices Decline, Gold Volatile

Oil prices fell on Friday, with WTI crude down by 0.23% and Brent crude down by 0.17%.

Spot gold remained volatile, rising by 0.1%.