Stocks Rise on Tech, Focus Turns to US-China Talks: Markets Wrap

Asian stocks and US equity-index futures advanced as investors bet the record-breaking rally driven by enthusiasm for the artificial intelligence trade has further room to run.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.4% to near its all-time high, with South Korea’s Kospi — the world’s best-performing market this year — leading with a 1.7% gain. A regional gauge of tech stocks hit a record. Contracts for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index climbed 0.5% and those for the S&P 500 Index rose 0.2% after the underlying gauges closed at all-time highs on Wednesday.