Asian Stocks Rise as Bond Yields Ease, Oil Prices Stabilize

Asian stocks moved higher on Thursday as easing global bond yields and steadier oil prices improved investor sentiment, while markets digested regional economic data and looked ahead to the U.S. jobs report for signals on the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.3%, while the broader TOPIX climbed 1%. Japanese trading houses led the advance, with Mitsubishi Corp jumping nearly 5% after Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel reiterated the company’s long-term commitment to its investments in Japan.

Berkshire Hathaway owns stakes exceeding 10% in several major Japanese trading companies and has indicated that it could increase those holdings, supporting renewed investor interest in the sector.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 1.5% and Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.7%. U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged after Wall Street finished modestly higher overnight.

Lower bond yields also supported risk appetite. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.784% after recently reaching multi-year highs. Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield declined about five basis points to 2.97%, having briefly exceeded 3% earlier this week for the first time since 1996.

Oil prices edged lower following three consecutive sessions of gains, although investors remained cautious about renewed U.S.-Iran military exchanges and potential disruptions to global energy supplies.

Attention is now shifting to Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report. Markets are pricing in roughly a two-thirds probability that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by 25 basis points this month, according to CME FedWatch.

Chinese equities also advanced, with the Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 gaining around 0.5% each, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng remained broadly flat. China’s RatingDog services PMI increased to 51.4 in August from 50.4 in July, beating expectations of 50.6 and signaling stronger domestic demand and employment.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose about 0.5% after July’s trade surplus exceeded expectations despite exports falling 3.3% month-on-month. Meanwhile, Japan’s services sector expanded at its fastest pace in five months, strengthening expectations that resilient domestic activity could support further Bank of Japan policy tightening.