[MARKET ANALYSIS] Asia-Pac stocks are mostly higher as semiconductor strength helps the region shrug off the weak lead from the US

APAC Stocks: Mostly higherAsia-Pac stocks are predominantly in the green as semiconductor strength helped the region shrug off the lacklustre lead from Wall St and the widening geopolitical escalation in the Middle East.ASX 200: +0.6%Index is lifted amid outperformance in the commodity-related and materials sectors, while sentiment is also helped by strong jobs data.Nikkei 225: +0.3%Rallied at the open but is well off today's best levels amid higher oil prices and after hitting resistance around the 67,000 level.KOSPI +2.3%Remained driven by semiconductor advances with both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in the green, while chaebols dominate the list of biggest gainers and participants also digest stronger-than-expected South Korean GDP data.Hang Seng & Shanghai Comp: Hang Seng +1.2% / Shanghai Comp -0.1%Chinese markets are mixed, with Hong Kong led higher by strength in mining names, while the mainland is lacklustre as trade-related frictions linger, and with the US investigating Chinese AI firm Moonshot over chip access and whether the Co. used US chips for model training.US Equity Futures: LowerTwo-way price action seen following a mixed reaction to earnings results, including from Alphabet and Tesla.European Equity Futures -0.3%Indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.3% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.5% on Wednesday.