{"id":62172,"date":"2026-05-20T20:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T00:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asia-pacific-markets-surge-on-middle-east-truce-hopes-softbank-shares-jump-15\/62172\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T20:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T00:38:19","slug":"asia-pacific-markets-surge-on-middle-east-truce-hopes-softbank-shares-jump-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asia-pacific-markets-surge-on-middle-east-truce-hopes-softbank-shares-jump-15\/62172\/","title":{"rendered":"Asia-Pacific Markets Surge on Middle East Truce Hopes; SoftBank Shares Jump 15%"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Asia-Pacific indices rallied sharply<\/strong>, led by a <strong>4.5% jump in the KOSPI<\/strong> and a <strong>2.8% gain in the Nikkei 225<\/strong>, following Wall Street\u2019s lead and optimism over a Middle East resolution.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SoftBank Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/9984\">9984<\/a>) shares surged 15%<\/strong> amid intense buying interest, marking a standout performance in the Japanese tech sector.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan\u2019s April trade balance recorded a \u00a5301.9 billion surplus<\/strong>, crushing analyst estimates of a \u00a544.5 billion deficit, driven by a <strong>14.8% year-on-year rise in exports<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>JGB yields fell across the curve<\/strong>, with the <strong>30-year yield dropping 8.5 basis points to 4.015%<\/strong> and the <strong>10-year yield easing to 2.745%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold prices<\/a> stabilized near $4,540\/ounce<\/strong> as reports of a potential <strong>United States-Iran truce<\/strong> eased global inflation fears and lowered Treasury yields.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Regional Markets Rally on Easing Geopolitical Tensions<\/h2>\n<p>Asia-Pacific equity markets opened significantly higher on Thursday, taking impetus from a strong session on Wall Street. The rally was primarily fueled by <strong>falling bond yields and lower oil prices<\/strong>, as investors reacted to increased optimism regarding a potential resolution to conflicts in the Middle East. The <strong>Nikkei 225 (+2.8%)<\/strong> and <strong>KOSPI (+4.5%)<\/strong> led the regional gains, while Australia\u2019s <strong>S&amp;P\/ASX 200 climbed 1.3% to 8,606<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Market sentiment shifted toward risk-on assets<\/em> as the prospect of a <strong>US-Iran truce<\/strong> began to permeate trading floors. This cooling of geopolitical rhetoric has helped ease fears of persistent inflation and further interest rate hikes. <strong>SoftBank Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/9984\">9984<\/a>)<\/strong> was a primary beneficiary of this shift, with its stock price <strong>rallying 15%<\/strong> during early trade.<\/p>\n<h2>Japan Reports Strong Trade Data Amid Mixed Economic Signals<\/h2>\n<p>Japan\u2019s Ministry of Finance reported a <strong>trade surplus of \u00a5301.9 billion for April<\/strong>, a significant beat against the expected \u00a544.5 billion deficit. <strong>Exports rose 14.8% year-on-year<\/strong>, outpacing the 9.2% forecast. However, the domestic manufacturing outlook remained clouded as <strong>Core Machine Orders for March fell 9.4% month-on-month<\/strong>, missing the estimated 8.4% decline.<\/p>\n<p>In the fixed income market, <strong>Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yields saw a notable retreat<\/strong>. The <strong>30-year JGB yield fell 8.5 basis points to 4.015%<\/strong>, while the <strong>10-year yield settled at 2.745%<\/strong>. <em>This easing of yields suggests a recalibration of long-term inflation expectations<\/em> as energy prices soften. Weekly security flow data showed that while foreign investors sold a net <strong>\u00a51,033.4 billion in Japanese bonds<\/strong>, they remained net buyers of <strong>Japanese stocks, totaling \u00a5949.6 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical Friction and Corporate Outlooks<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the broader market optimism, diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing remain a point of concern. A <strong>Pentagon official\u2019s planned visit to Beijing is reportedly in doubt<\/strong> following the announcement of a <strong>$14 billion US arms package for Taiwan<\/strong>. Additionally, investors are monitoring Washington as <strong>President Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order<\/strong> at 3:30 PM Thursday, following an earlier announcement with the EPA Administrator.<\/p>\n<p>In the corporate sector, <strong>Singtel (<a href=\"\/stock\/Z74\">Z74<\/a>)<\/strong> issued a cautious near-term outlook despite having no direct operations in the Middle East. The telecommunications giant expects <strong>FY EBIT growth to land between low and mid-single digits<\/strong>. Meanwhile, <strong>Gold held steady near $4,540\/ounce<\/strong>, supported by a <strong>weaker US Dollar<\/strong> and lower Treasury yields, though analysts at <strong>Citigroup<\/strong> warned that while de-escalation near the Strait of Hormuz could find a bottom for gold, prolonged stagflation fears could still drive demand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Asia-Pacific indices rallied sharply, led by a 4.5% jump in the KOSPI and a 2.8% gain in the 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