Tokyo, 1 October 2026 – Asian equities opened the fourth quarter on an uneven footing, with Japanese technology shares rising sharply while investors elsewhere weighed elevated bond yields, energy uncertainty and the durability of the artificial-intelligence trade. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 2.4% at 68,355.81 in morning trading, supported by chip-related names including Advantest and Tokyo Electron. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 moved the other way, falling 1.7% to 8,638.10.
The divergence matters more than a single regional headline. South Korea’s Kospi was reported up 0.5% at 6,873.06 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.4% to 24,613.27 in the same early snapshot. Another regional account, measured at a different point in the session, showed a broader Asia-Pacific share gauge outside Japan slipping slightly. These are time-specific readings, not competing closing prices. They underline how gains concentrated in Japanese chip-linked counters can coexist with caution across the wider market.
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