Japanese stocks ended higher, with the Nikkei 225 closing up 1.6% at 68,605.51 and the Topix rising 0.51% to 4,160.28 for a seventh straight gain and a record high. Chip-linked shares led the advance after the PHLX Semiconductor Index rose about 2.5% in the U.S. Advantest gained 5.35%, while Kioxia jumped 10.01% and Ibiden rose 9.77%. Toppan surged 14% after upbeat quarterly results.

Tata Motors reported Q1 FY27 net profit of Rs 2,560 crore, up 83.3% year on year, while revenue rose 19% to Rs 20,667 crore, helped by mark-to-market gains on Tata Capital investments. After the results, Nomura upgraded the stock and CLSA kept its Outperform rating. The shares climbed as much as 6% intraday to Rs 485 on the next session.

South Korea’s Kospi surged 3.73% to 6,824.54, its highest level since July 24, led by chip stocks on artificial-intelligence demand. SK Hynix rose more than 7% and Samsung Electronics gained more than 5%. Foreign investors were net buyers of $778.5 million in equities, while the won strengthened 0.38% against the dollar. POSCO Holdings slipped 0.08% and Samsung Biologics climbed 0.84%.

Jio Financial Services shares rose more than 3% to Rs 263 on the BSE on Thursday after the company said Bank of America will buy a 49.9% stake in its wholly owned nonbank lender, Jio Credit, in a Rs 18,268 crore deal. Bank of America will first take a 26.5% stake through a preferential allotment of equity shares. It can later lift the holding to 49.9% by exercising warrants, subject to regulatory approvals.

LayerZero is set to unlock about 25.71 million ZRO tokens at 11:00 AM on August 20, data from Web3 asset platform RootData show. Based on current prices, the tokens are valued at about $20.74 million. ChainCatcher reported the information.

An ASX-listed property trust reported FY26 funds from operations of 17.6 cents per security, topping its guidance of 17.4 cents, while distributions were 16.6 cents per security in line with expectations. Net profit fell to $74.4 million from $84.2 million a year earlier, mainly due to lower property valuation gains. Portfolio income rose 5.3% with occupancy at 98.8% and releasing spreads of 21.4%, and the trust said its buyback program has progressed with the target increased from 2.5% to 5%.

Grain exports from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk have been suspended after three major terminals were heavily damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack. A loading gallery at United Grain Co.’s Novorossiysk Grain Plant collapsed and several silos were damaged, while Demetra’s terminal also saw damage to its loading gallery and truck unloading facility, people familiar with the matter said. The KSK terminal was also hit. The disruption during the harvest season has raised supply concerns, helping Chicago wheat futures surge as much as 4% for the biggest intraday gain in three weeks.

Outlook Therapeutics said it priced a public offering at $0.99 per share of common stock along with warrants, with the warrants exercisable at $1.10 per share immediately and expiring in five years. The company expects gross proceeds of about $55.0 million, with net proceeds intended for general corporate purposes and to support regulatory approvals for its wet AMD treatment with the FDA, in the EU and with the UK’s MHRA. The underwriters were also granted an option to buy additional securities.