Asian Stocks Advance on U.S.-Iran Deal Hopes

Asian equities were broadly higher as investors remained hopeful that the U.S. and Iran will reach a peace deal soon. On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average climbed 2.4% and South Korea’s Kospi rose 2.0%, while Taiwan’s Taiex added 0.9%, tracking a surge in U.S. tech stocks overnight that sent the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite to records. “Even as news flow has been erratic, investors are gravitating toward the view that the worst may be over,” said Eugene Leow, senior rates strategist at DBS Group Research.