Japan's Nikkei rallies on bargain-hunting, Kospi recovery

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.74% to close at 67,743.50 and the broader Topix gained 0.79% to 4,038.98, reversing an earlier slide of as much as 1.45%. The recovery was driven by bargain-hunting and a parallel rebound in South Korea's Kospi, though the morning decline had been triggered by overnight US weakness after renewed US-Iran hostilities pushed oil prices higher. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group hit an all-time high with a 1.67% gain, reflecting optimism around improving bank net interest margins as global rate-tightening expectations build.