Asia’s equity benchmark headed for a record close, extending a rally fueled by easing uncertainties around US tariffs, a strong rebound in Chinese shares and optimism that the Federal Reserve may cut rates as early as next week.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose as much as 0.2% to 220.65, with technology shares like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. being the top contributors to gains. A close at this level would be higher than the gauge’s previous all-time high of 220.64 reached in February 2021. Benchmarks in Vietnam, mainland China and South Korea have been among the region’s top performers over the past three months.