19 November 2025, China, Shanghai: Boats sail past downtown Shanghai on the Huangpu River. The tallest building on the skyline is the Shanghai Tower (rear).
Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
Asian defense stocks rallied for a second straight session Tuesday, even as the region traded mixed, with investors assessing geopolitical risks after the U.S.Ā attack on VenezuelaĀ and capture of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.
Japanese defense firm Kawasaki Heavy Industries rose 3.53%, while IHI added 3.23%. Shares of South Korea’s Korea Aerospace jumped as much as 11%, while Poongsan jumped more than 6%. Hanwha Aerospace climbed 0.59%.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.69%, while the Topix advanced 1.3% to a record high. South Korea’s Kospi was flat, and the small-cap Kosdaq fell 0.43%.
Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 slid 0.42%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 1.6%, led by gains in the basic materials and real estate sectors. Among the top gainers on the index were China Hongqiao, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, which advanced 7.89%, and Zijin Mining Group, which rose 5.57%.
The mainland CSI 300 added 0.47%.
U.S. equity futures were flat in early Asian hours.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks rose even after the U.S.ā€²Ā attack on Venezuela, as crude oil prices advancedĀ and investors bet the action would not lead to broader geopolitical conflict.
TheĀ Dow Jones Industrial AverageĀ gained 594.79 points, or 1.23%, to close at 48,977.18. The 30-stock index also hit a new all-time high in the session. TheĀ S&P 500Ā advanced 0.64% and ended at 6,902.05. TheĀ Nasdaq CompositeĀ added 0.69%, settling at 23,395.82.
ā€” CNBC’s Liz Napolitano, Fred Imbert and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
