SoftBank spearheaded the increase in Japanese technology stocks on Wednesday, following the upward trend of market counterparts, thereby elevating the Nikkei 225 index. SoftBank, a major player in tech-focused investments, increased by over 6%, breaking a three-day sequence of declines. Tokyo Electron of Japan and Lasertec, which provides essential chipmaking equipment to foundries that manufacture Nvidia chips, rose more than 4%. Lasertec increased by as much as 7%, and semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics advanced more than 6 percent. Supplier of semiconductor testing equipment, Advantest, also experienced an increase of as much as 5%. The Nikkei outperformed its regional counterparts in Asia, finishing the day with a 1.14% increase, closing at 49,864.68, while the comprehensive Topix declined by 0.2%, settling at 3,334.32.

Bitcoin surged more than 7% to surpass the $90,000 threshold during overnight trading, rebounding from a significant sell-off, and was trading 3% higher at $93,894.45 during the Asian trading session on Wednesday. South Korea’s Kospi index increased by 1.04% to 4,036.3, whereas the small-cap Kosdaq concluded 0.39% higher at 932.01. The revised third-quarter GDP figures revealed that the economy expanded by 1.8% year on year, an increase from the initial estimate of 1.7%, according to data released by the central bank on Wednesday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also delivered remarks to the nation on the first anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s unsuccessful effort to impose martial law.

Australia’s benchmark index experienced a modest increase of 0.18%, concluding the trading session at 8,595.2. The country’s third-quarter GDP data fell short of estimates on Wednesday, yet recorded its strongest growth in nearly two years, with GDP growing by 2.1% year on year — its most robust expansion since the third quarter of 2023 — though still below the 2.2% anticipated by economists.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 1.28% to 25,760.73, while the mainland CSI 300 decreased by 0.51% to 4,531.05. India’s Nifty 50 experienced a decline of 0.48%, whereas the BSE Sensex index saw a reduction of 0.32%. The Indian rupee experienced a decline for the fifth consecutive day, trading approximately 0.30% lower at 90.157. U.S. stock futures exhibited minimal fluctuations during the early hours in Asia, following a partial recovery of significant losses in major U.S. indexes from the prior session. Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced an increase of 0.39%, the S&P 500 saw a rise of 0.25%, and the Nasdaq Composite recorded an advancement of 0.59%.