Asian Stocks Mostly Rise on AI Optimism; Nikkei Jumps 2.4% Despite Iran War Concerns

Asian shares mostly advanced in early Thursday trading, lifted by investor appetite for technology and AI-related issues even as uncertainty over the Iran war persists. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 2.4% to 68,355.81, while South Korea's Kospi added 0.5% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 bucked the trend, falling 1.7%. In Tokyo, chip-linked names including Advantest, Tokyo Electron and SoftBank Group have gained in recent sessions on solid semiconductor and AI demand. On Wall Street Wednesday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% to 7,651.54, its third losing month in four, while the Dow dropped 443.87 points to 50,906.05 and the Nasdaq added 0.2% to 26,861.06. U.S. inflation came in at 3.4% year-over-year in August, below the 3.7% economists expected but above the Fed's 2% target. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 5.29%. U.S. crude fell 0.56% to $89.91 a barrel; Brent slipped 0.35% to $97.69.