Asian Markets Surge as Kospi, Nikkei Jump Up to 5% on Hopes of US-Iran De-escalation

Asian Markets Surge as Kospi, Nikkei Jump Up to 5% on Hopes of US-Iran De-escalation​

Asian Markets Rally on Easing Geopolitical Concerns​

Asian markets rebounded sharply on Wednesday, April 1, driven by renewed optimism around a potential de-escalation in the US-Iran conflict following remarks from US President Donald Trump.

South Korea’s Kospi surged nearly 5% in early trade, while the Kosdaq advanced 4.13%. The rally was further supported by strong export data, with March shipments rising 48.3% year-on-year.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 climbed 3.51%, and the broader Topix index gained 3.17%, reflecting broad-based buying across sectors.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.76%, supported by gains in education-related stocks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index futures were last seen at 25,191, higher than the previous close of 24,788.14, indicating positive momentum.

GIFT Nifty Signals Strong Start for Indian Markets​

On the domestic front, GIFT Nifty jumped 380 points, or 1.63%, to 22,790 on Wednesday, signalling a strong gap-up opening for Indian benchmark indices.

Market sentiment remained supported by improving global cues, particularly expectations of easing geopolitical tensions and reduced risks to energy supply chains.

Trump Remarks Boost Global Sentiment​

US President Donald Trump indicated that Washington may halt its military operations in Iran within the next two to three weeks. He stated that the objective of neutralizing Iran’s nuclear threat has been achieved and added that continued military engagement may not be necessary.

The White House also announced that Trump will address the nation on the Iran situation at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Following these developments, US futures moved higher, with S&P 500 e-mini futures rising 0.3% and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.5%.

Wall Street Posts Strongest Gains in Months​

US markets closed sharply higher on Tuesday, supported by easing concerns over the Middle East conflict after weeks of volatility driven by rising oil prices and inflation worries.

The rally followed reports indicating a possible halt to US military actions against Iran.

The S&P 500 rose 2.91% to close at 6,528.52. The Nasdaq jumped 3.83% to 21,590.63, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.49% to settle at 46,341.51.

These marked the strongest single-day gains for the major US indices since May 2025, when markets had rallied on news of a trade truce between the United States and China.