America News Agency

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 led regional gains, jumping 3.4% as trading resumed after the holiday, while the Topix rose 2.13%. According to public broadcaster NHK, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to dissolve the lower house later this month and likely call an early election in February.

Index heavyweights including SoftBank posted gains of up to 5%, while Advantest and Tokyo Electron climbed 8.99% and 8.31%, respectively. The 10-year Japanese government bond yield rose 5 basis points to 2.15%, while the 20-year yield increased 8 basis points to 3.137%. The Japanese yen weakened to as low as 158.25 per dollar, its lowest level in a year. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.62%, while the small-cap Kosdaq fell 0.30%.

Investors will also closely watch oil prices amid ongoing protests in Iran. According to multiple reports published Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing intervention options in Iran.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said any country doing business with Iran would face a 25% tariff on “all business with the United States.” The new tariff on imports from Iran’s trading partners “takes effect immediately.”

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.25% while the CSI 300 was flat. Shares of Chinese semiconductor firm GigaDevice Semiconductor surged nearly 50% on Tuesday when they began trading in Hong Kong. The company raised HK$4.68 billion (US$600 million) at a price of HK$162 per share.

Ahead of U.S. consumer inflation data and major bank earnings, U.S. stock futures were flat at the Asia open. Overnight in the U.S., stocks rebounded from session lows, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching all-time highs.

The S&P 500 closed up 0.16% at 6,977.27, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 86.13 points, or 0.17%, to close at 49,590.20. Both indexes hit fresh intraday record highs and ended at record closes. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.26% to close at 23,733.90.