Asian shares rise, tracking Wall Street records amid AI bubble concerns

Asian stock markets climbed on Friday, mirroring Wall Street's record-setting performance despite persistent worries about a potential bubble in artificial intelligence technology. U.S. futures showed mixed results while oil prices moved higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 1.4% to 50,836.55, recovering from previous session losses. While investors remain cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy meeting next week where interest rates are expected to increase, technology shares led broad market gains with Softbank Group advancing 3.9%. In Chinese markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.6% and Shanghai Composite gained 0.4%. China's Central Economic Work Conference set 2026 priorities including reversing investment declines and boosting consumer spending, though no major policy changes were announced. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increased 1.2%, South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.3%, while Taiwan and Indian indexes also posted gains. On Thursday, the S&P 500 reached a new record high despite Oracle's significant sell-off over AI profitability concerns. The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut and indication of future reductions have supported market optimism, though doubts persist about whether massive AI investments will deliver promised returns.