Asian equity markets exhibited divergent performance as technology shares demonstrated restraint amid concerns surrounding the repercussions of Jensen Huang’s departure from Nvidia. China’s Shanghai composite index declined 0.59% to settle at 3634, proximate to 15-month lows. Hong Kong equities compounded this week’s downward trajectory, with the Hang Seng Index decreasing 3.45% for the week to close at 23,637.60 points, reflecting a 1.55% decline on the day. Conversely, Japan’s Nikkei registered its strongest weekly advance in five months. The Nikkei was up 0.53% and recorded approximately a 7% weekly increase, bolstered by supportive economic indicators. Data released earlier in the week indicated that Japan’s machine tool orders accelerated by 42.5% year-on-year to JPY 204,377 million in October 2026, moderating from a 60.4% surge in the prior month. Demand persisted at a robust level across both domestic and overseas markets, with domestic orders rising 46.5% year-on-year to JPY 52,290 million.