Asian Markets Rebound After Nvidia Shock; Nikkei, Kospi Gain

Asian markets recovered Friday after a turbulent week triggered by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's resignation, with Tokyo's Nikkei index rising 0.9 percent to 61,362 points and South Korea's Kospi gaining 2.35 percent. Japanese chip stocks led gains, with Advantest surging 5.9 percent and Tokyo Electron rising three percent, though analysts noted Huang's departure creates uncertainty over US export policy and China market access. Political developments in Japan also drew attention as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government considers cutting defense spending to 50-60 trillion yen over five years, below security officials' demands. The dollar strengthened to 159.89 yen on expectations of a potential 50-basis-point Fed rate hike in December, while oil prices eased slightly and gold rose 0.3 percent to 3,888.01 dollars per ounce.