--- title: "Asia stocks advance tracking US tech gains; Iran conflict, RBA decision in focus" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279358328.md" description: "Most Asian stocks rose on Tuesday, led by technology shares, following a rally on Wall Street. South Korea's KOSPI jumped nearly 3%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.5%. However, gains were limited by ongoing tensions in the Middle East, with oil prices remaining above $100 per barrel. Investors are also awaiting the Reserve Bank of Australia's interest rate decision, expected to be a 25 basis point increase, amid concerns over inflation and energy costs. Major central bank meetings are scheduled this week, including the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan." datetime: "2026-03-17T02:58:50.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279358328.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279358328.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279358328.md) --- # Asia stocks advance tracking US tech gains; Iran conflict, RBA decision in focus Investing.com- Most Asian stocks rose on Tuesday, with technology shares leading gains as investors tracked an overnight rally on Wall Street, while keeping a close watch on Middle East tensions and a busy week of central bank decisions. Regional markets took cues from a stronger close on Wall Street, as tech stocks drove the advance on optimism surrounding Nvidia's annual developer conference. U.S. stock index futures ticked lower in Asian trading on Tuesday. \[\[pro\_promotion |Get Asian stock market analysis with real-time updates on InvestingPro \]\] KOSPI leads gains on Wall St tech rebound Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Chief Executive Jensen Huang unveiled new artificial-intelligence systems and components at the company’s GTC conference, boosting sentiment toward chipmakers and the broader technology sector. Asian technology and semiconductor stocks followed the positive lead, lifting major regional benchmarks. South Korea's KOSPI outperformed, jumping nearly 3%, with Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) shares climbing nearly 5%. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.5%, while the broader TOPIX index rose 1.1%. China's Shanghai Composite edged 0.4% higher, while the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index added 0.7%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index traded 1.1% higher. Singapore's Straits Times Index advanced 1.2%, while futures tied to India's Nifty 50 edged lower. Middle East tensions persist; oil remains above $100/bbl However, gains were capped as investors continued to monitor escalating tensions in the Middle East. The conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran has entered its third week, raising concerns over disruptions to global energy supplies. Oil prices remained elevated, with Brent crude holding above $100 per barrel on Tuesday after retreating slightly on Monday. Prices have surged in recent weeks as the conflict threatened shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade. Persistently high oil prices have also fueled concerns that inflationary pressures could remain elevated, complicating the outlook for global monetary policy. RBA decision awaited; Fed, BOJ also on tap this week Investors were awaiting the interest-rate decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia later on Tuesday. Economists widely expect the central bank to raise its cash rate by 25 basis points as policymakers attempt to curb inflation and respond to rising energy costs. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index traded largely flat before the decision. The decision comes ahead of several major central bank meetings this week. The Federal Reserve will announce its policy decision on Wednesday, while the Bank of Japan concludes its meeting on March 19. Market participants are closely watching these meetings for signals on the trajectory of interest rates as policymakers balance persistent inflation risks from surging oil prices. ### Related Stocks - [BBH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BBH.US.md) - [VUG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VUG.US.md) - [IUSG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IUSG.US.md) - [QQEW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/QQEW.US.md) - [IGV.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IGV.US.md) - [XSW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XSW.US.md) - [NXTG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NXTG.US.md) - [QCLR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/QCLR.US.md) - [VFMO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VFMO.US.md) - [SMH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SMH.US.md) - [FTXL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/FTXL.US.md) - [SNSR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SNSR.US.md) - [QQQM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/QQQM.US.md) - [PSQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PSQ.US.md) - [SOXX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SOXX.US.md) - [.NDX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/.NDX.US.md) - [XBI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XBI.US.md) - [SOXL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SOXL.US.md) - [ONEQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ONEQ.US.md) - [QQQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/QQQ.US.md) - [PSI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PSI.US.md) - [EWY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/EWY.US.md) - [LABU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LABU.US.md) - [TQQQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TQQQ.US.md) - [SCHG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SCHG.US.md) - [BIB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BIB.US.md) - [QQQS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/QQQS.US.md) - [SQQQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SQQQ.US.md) - [PBE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PBE.US.md) - [MGK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MGK.US.md) - [YCS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/YCS.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [LIVE MARKETS-Equity recovery: more to go or soft patch ahead?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284363883.md) - [Stock Index Futures Gain on Tech Boost Ahead of Fed Decision and Big Tech Earnings](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284548318.md) - [Someone please tell America how this ends](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284249871.md) - [AI casts existential shadow over legacy software companies, Bridgewater CIOs warn](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284238892.md) - [$100 Invested In Vanguard Growth ETF 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284232490.md)