Nvidia Outlook and US-Iran Hopes Lift Asian Markets to Fresh Gains

Asian equities advanced on May 22 as Nvidia’s upbeat Q1 results and revenue guidance reinforced AI demand while hopes for a US-Iran diplomatic thaw eased geopolitical risks. The rally follows a volatile pre-earnings period marked by surging Treasury yields near 5.20%, oil spikes above $100, and semiconductor pullbacks of over 4%. Nvidia reported Q1 revenue of $81.6 billion, up 85% year-over-year, with net income of $58.3 billion, triggering sharp rebounds in regional chip stocks. South Korea’s KOSPI surged nearly 8% to 7,777 on a Samsung labor deal, while Japan’s Nikkei rose 3.7% and TSMC shares gained over 3%. Long-term AI tailwinds remain supportive despite near-term swings.