Asian markets advance, Kospi leads regional gains

Asian equities were mostly higher on Friday, November 13, with South Korea’s Kospi leading regional gains at 2.79%; the Kosdaq rose 2.43%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 1.06% and Topix gained 0.25%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.73%, Mettis Global reported.

Investor attention also focused on Nvidia after founder and chief executive Jensen Huang resigned on Thursday. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress became interim CEO as the board looks for a permanent replacement, while reports about Huang’s alleged personal relationships and suspected connections to a Chinese intelligence operative raised leadership concerns. Brent crude settled at $95.82 a barrel after rising more than 3% on Thursday, following US President Donald Trump’s comments on Iran; investors are also awaiting October US PPI data, with economists expecting increases of 0.4% month-on-month and 6.6% year-on-year.