Asian Markets Rally Amid Lunar New Year Lull

Asian stock markets gained on Thursday during thin trading due to the Lunar New Year holiday. The yen strengthened amid expected interest rate hikes by Japan's central bank, impacting the dollar. Meanwhile, U.S. tech stocks showed mixed earnings, and upcoming tariffs by Trump pose economic uncertainties.

Asian share markets experienced a rise in thin trading on Thursday as many regions were on holiday for the Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar remained steady after the Federal Reserve indicated a halt in policy easing.

Contrary to other currencies, the yen strengthened amidst expectations that Japan's central bank would continue to increase interest rates. This situation had a negative impact on Japanese shares, though the Nikkei still ended the day with modest gains. Australia's stock benchmark reached a new high.

After-hours earnings reports from major U.S. companies delivered mixed results, with Microsoft surpassing revenue expectations while Tesla's profit margins disappointed. These developments had little effect on the ongoing discussion regarding the potential threat posed by Chinese startup DeepSeek to U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence.

(With inputs from agencies.)