Asian stocks ride tech wave higher, oil stays subdued

Asian shares surged for a sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, driven by optimism surrounding AI applications and concerns over oil supply. South Korean stocks rose 1.2%, with Samsung and SK Hynix both exceeding the 2% mark. Chinese stocks remained relatively unchanged, while Japanese markets, closed for a holiday, posted a near-2,000 point jump in futures.

Bloomberg's Chris Weston anticipates a robust Japanese market reopening on Thursday. The data hardware sector benefited from strong consumer adoption of Meta's Muse AI agent, which topped app download charts. Analysts are now monitoring Google Labs' CC product for consumer response. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures in the US remained stable, while EUROSTOXX 50 and DAX futures in Europe gained 0.3%.

FTSE futures rose 0.2%. Lower oil prices contributed to Treasury futures nudging higher, keeping 10-year yields under 5.0%. However, two-year yields reached their highest level since mid-2024 at 4.7879%, reflecting the potential for further rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Fed officials Tom Barkin and Susan Collins endorsed the recent rate increase due to inflation worries.

The dollar strengthened against major currencies, nearing multi-week highs on the euro and sterling. Trump's threat to annihilate Iran, coupled with calls for a US diesel export ban, could negatively impact European inflation and energy prices.