Asian Stock Markets Recover, Investors Await Peace Confirmation from Trump

Asian-Pacific stock markets moved higher in trading on Thursday, 2 April 2026. Now, market players are awaiting the speech by US President Donald Trump, who seeks to end the war with Iran. On Wednesday morning US time, Trump claimed that the President of the New Iranian Regime had asked the US for a ceasefire. However, this statement was denied by Iran. Trump stated that the US is considering peace with Iran if it reopens the Strait of Hormuz. This differs from a Wall Street Journal report in which Trump is willing to end military strikes against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Most recently, “Open, free, and without obstacles,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, quoted from CNBC International, Thursday, 2 April 2026. Market optimism regarding the end of the US-Iran war drove gains in several major indices in the Asian region. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.78 per cent, while the Topix strengthened higher by 1.01 per cent. In South Korea, the Kospi surged 1.33 per cent. The small-cap Kosdaq stock index also rose 1.14 per cent. Positive sentiment also spread to Australia. The S&P/ASX 200 index opened up 0.45 per cent, extending the rally to three consecutive days. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng futures contract was at 25,301, slightly above the previous close at 25,294.03. The strengthening of Asian markets aligns with the performance of the US stock market, Wall Street, last night. The S&P 500 index rose 0.72 per cent, the Nasdaq Composite strengthened 1.16 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.48 per cent.