Kospi, Nikkei225, Sensex, Hang Seng, Nifty 50

Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Thursday, tracking Wall Street gains, as growing hopes that the Middle East conflict could end soon cooled oil prices.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran, according to a pool report, helping lift investor optimism.

Oil prices have seen a sharp rise as the Trump administration blockades Iranian ports, while the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy waterways, has been effectively closed by Tehran.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 3.54% higher after the release of the country’s latest trade data.

Exports rose at the fastest pace since January, rising 14.8% in April, exceeding expectations thanks to a surge in semiconductor shipments. Imports grew 9.7% year-on-year, higher than an expected 8.3% rise, according to government data. The country’s trade balance narrowed to 301.9 billion yen in April, from 643 billion yen in March.

Meanwhile, SoftBank Group surged nearly 20%, amid signs of AI’s strong momentum after Nvidia‘s blockbuster earnings overnight.

South Korea’s Kospi extended early gains to advance 7% while the small-cap Kosdaq was 4.88% higher. Index heavyweight Samsung Electronics added more than 6% after a strike involving more than 47,000 of its workers was averted following a breakthrough in wage negotiations. Another index heavyweight, SK Hynix, gained 11%.

Daniel Yoo, global strategist and head of global investment department of Yuanta Securities (Korea) said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” he expects Kospi to hit 10,000 by year-end.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 1.62%.

China’s CSI 300 gained 1.67%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.24%.

West Texas Intermediate futures were 0.83% higher at $99.08 per barrel in Asia trading early Thursday, while Brent crude added 0.74% at $105.80 a barrel. In Wednesday’s session, WTI futures shed 5.66% to close at $98.26 per barrel, while Brent crude pulled back 5.63% to settle at $105.02 a barrel.