Asia stocks rise on economic data, trade hopes

June 30, 2025 (MLN): Asia-Pacific markets mostly posted gains on Monday as investors digested a raft of economic data and developments surrounding global trade negotiations.

Key indicators out of South Korea, Japan, and China painted a mixed picture of industrial performance, with China's ongoing manufacturing contraction raising expectations of further policy support.

In China, manufacturing activity shrank for a third straight month in June, based on the latest purchasing managers' index (PMI) readings, as CNBC reported.

This persistent weakness heightened hopes of additional stimulus measures to buffer the economy against the drag from continued U.S.-China trade frictions.

Despite this, Mainland China’s CSI 300 index ended the session little changed, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 0.45%.

Japanese equities extended last week's momentum.

The Nikkei 225 surged 1.48% to notch its highest level in over 11 months, while the broader Topix index rose 0.77%.

The rally came after Japan’s industrial output for May showed signs of recovery.

South Korea's Kospi index rose 0.82%, buoyed by positive industrial production data, while the Kosdaq edged up 0.31% amid volatile trading.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.59%, reflecting broad-based buying across sectors.

India’s Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex opened flat, with investors appearing cautious despite strong global cues.

U.S. equity futures were higher during Asian trading hours, suggesting a positive start to the second half of the year.

The S&P 500 on Friday closed at a fresh record high of 6,173.07, breaking past its previous peak of 6,147.43.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also marked a new all-time closing high, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed nearly 1%.

The strong finish to June capped a robust rebound in U.S. markets from April lows, when trade tensions were at their peak.

However, with negotiations remaining fluid, markets are likely to remain sensitive to any shift in tone or progress on key trade issues.

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