Investors were in a positive frame of mind thanks to strong economic signs from the US even as the situation in Gaza darkened

Tensions in Gaza had an impact across Asia’s trading floors with oil prices rising and the US dollar surging as investors shunned equities

Hotter-than-predicted US consumer prices have resurrected the likelihood of more rate rises – just as investors had begun betting on a rollback

Investors were betting on the US Fed easing back on its rates campaign soon while new China stimulus also contributed to the optimism on trading floors

Investors across the region were cheered by signals from the US that interest rates there have finally peaked

Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel raised investor anxiety levels but hints of rate cuts and rising energy prices helped

Oil prices surged after the Hamas invasion from Gaza, piling pressure on equities, while China’s economic struggles continued to have an impact too

Investor eyes were on the latest US jobs data due out later in the day and which way the Fed will jump in response

Softer US jobs numbers took the pressure off Treasury yields, giving investors across the region a breather and a chance to bargain hunt

US yields soared to 16-year highs, drawing in cash from stocks and into dollars across the region

Investors across the region were preoccupied with the likelihood of persistently high borrowing rates for some time to come

Tokyo’s benchmark surged in early trading before later slumping on a thin trading day with Hong Kong, Seoul and Mumbai all closed for a holiday