Asian shares rise on AI optimism despite Iran war fears as US jobs market holds firm

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

Japan's Nikkei 225 surged 2.4% in early Thursday trading, with AI and chip-linked stocks leading gains as SoftBank, Tokyo Electron and Advantest all rose strongly. Global markets are trading mixed overall, with Iran war uncertainty pushing oil prices sharply higher and dampening broader investor appetite.

US job openings fell to 7.08 million in August, below forecasts, but layoffs also declined, suggesting the labour market is absorbing the Iran energy shock.

Oil remains volatile, with Brent crude at $97.69 a barrel and US benchmark crude at $89.91, both swinging on uncertainty over when Iranian supply will fully resume.

Friday's US jobs report is expected to show 95,000 positions added in September, with the unemployment rate predicted to hold steady at 4.1%.