Regional stocks rose on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index opened up 182 points, or 0.71 percent, at 25,833.

The China enterprises index was up 47 points, or 0.55 percent, at 8,652 while the tech index was up 50 points, or 1.04 percent, at 4,924.

Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened up 12 points, or 0.29 percent, at 4,174.

The Shenzhen Component Index was 138 points, or 0.89 percent, higher at 15,707 while the ChiNext Index was up 40 points, or 1.03 percent, at 3,962.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei average surged 2,124 points, or 3.55 percent, higher to 61,928 at one point before noon after opening up 570 points, or 1.03 percent, to 60,374 as Japanese exports rose 14.8 percent year on year in April.

In Seoul, the Kospi's gains accelerated to 481 points, or 6.68 percent, to be at 7,690 at one point before midday after opening 277 points, or 3.85 percent, up at 7,486 after Samsung's labour union said it would suspend industrial action upon reaching a tentative pay deal with the company, averting a strike by nearly 48,000 workers that threatened South Korea's economy and global chip supply.

"Oil prices declined and other major markets rallied, as investors took comfort from headlines quoting Trump saying the US was in the 'final stages' with Iran," analysts from Westpac wrote in a research report.

Asian chipmakers' shares rose after Nvidia's better-than-expected revenue forecast on Wednesday as its chief executive, Jensen Huang, aimed to reassure investors that the world's most valuable company can sustain blockbuster growth in demand for its flagship AI chips.

"The chip landscape remains Nvidia’s world with everybody else paying rent, as more sovereigns and enterprises wait in line for Nvidia's chips," said Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities in New York.

However, Nvidia's shares fell 1.1 percent in extended trading, while S&P 500 e-mini futures slipped 0.5 percent.

"The market’s reaction was relatively muted by its own lofty standards," said Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG in Sydney. "The lack of any China sales in the outlook and guidance that was only modestly ahead of expectations left some investors wanting a bit more fireworks." (Reuters & Xinhua)


Edited by Edmond Fong