Asian stock markets climbed on Thursday, buoyed by a tech rally on Wall Street, upbeat earnings, and hopes of US rate cuts. Investor confidence followed after Trump's 100% chip tariff threat came with exemptions for several companies.

Japan’s shares hit a new all-time high, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.4% and China’s blue-chip index rose 0.3%. The rally continued from Wall Street's performance, with the S&P 500 rising 0.7% and the Nasdaq jumping 1.2%. US stock futures also showed positive momentum, with both S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures up 0.3% each.

Taiwan’s TSMC surged nearly 5% after the island’s economic officials stated that the company would not be affected by upcoming trade actions. TSMC, currently building a massive facility in Arizona, has committed to up to $165 billion in US investment, its largest ever abroad, as reported by Reuters.

Stocks linked to Apple also saw gains after the tech giant announced plans to invest an additional $100 billion in the US, raising its total commitment to $600 billion over four years.

In other markets, the US dollar slightly edged up, with the dollar index at 98.245. Gold gained 0.4% to about $3,382 per ounce, supported by the weaker dollar. Oil prices also made a recovery: Brent crude rose 0.3% to $67.09, while US WTI crude climbed 0.3% to $64.57 per barrel.

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