Nikkei at record as Asia stocks ride Wall Street rally and China GDP beats

Asian equities rose after Wall Street closed at new highs, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumping about 2.6% to a record 59,624 and Korea’s KOSPI also higher. China beat expectations with Q1 GDP up 5.0% and March industrial production up 5.7% (retail sales +1.7%), signaling resilient growth despite domestic demand mixed signals. Sentiment was aided by hopes for progress in U.S.–Iran diplomacy and AI-related optimism, while Australia’s job data showed unemployment steady at 4.3% amid ongoing hiring strength.