South Korea’s Kospi climbed more than 2% Tuesday after a record close, leading Asia-Pacific markets higher even as Trump said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire had only a 1% chance of surviving.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.2% and Topix 0.54%, the Kosdaq rose 0.62%, Australia’s ASX 200 was flat, and Hang Seng futures edged above Hong Kong’s last close.
U.S. futures also stayed firm — Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.1% and Dow futures 24 points — after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs Monday.
GammaRoad’s Jordan Rizzuto said investors are in a “show me” market, increasingly ignoring geopolitical and inflation risks unless they hit economic or corporate fundamentals.
Retail flows into leveraged ETFs and call options are also supporting equities, he said, as dealer hedging and buffer-fund growth add downside protection and reinforce buy-the-dip behavior.
While markets soar on AI optimism, what happens when geopolitical reality finally bites back?
Is the AI boom creating a fragile 'show me' market that's dangerously ignoring real-world conflict?