Japan, South Korea stocks hit record highs as Iran ceasefire extension lifts sentiment

japan and south korea stocks hit record highs thursday, lifted by an extended u.s. ceasefire with iran and strong corporate earnings. the nikkei 225 briefly touched an all-time intraday high of 60,013.98, while the kospi reached 6,538.72. the ceasefire extension came via a trump truth social post on tuesday, citing iran's "seriously fractured" government. however, iranian state media said its negotiators would not attend talks, calling them a waste of time. oil prices rose, with wti futures at $93.42 per barrel. softbank group gained over 6% amid reports it seeks a $10 billion margin loan backed by its openai holdings. south korea's q1 gdp grew 1.7%, its fastest pace since late 2020. samsung electronics hit a record high of 227,000 won, even as over 30,000 workers were expected at a rally ahead of a planned strike.