Asian Stocks Climb on US Data Hopes, Oil Surges; Tech Rotation Seen

• Asian equities are set to open higher, anticipating US payroll data and a Supreme Court ruling on Trump's tariffs.
• Oil prices surged, while the dollar strengthened; gold edged up, but silver retreated from its record high.
• Investors are rotating from tech giants like Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc. into small-cap and defense stocks, signaling a shift from AI-driven gains.
• The Russell 2000 has significantly outperformed the Nasdaq 100, marking one of its best starts to a year on record.
• US layoffs hit a 17-month low, and jobless claims were lower than forecast, easing fears of a sharp economic slowdown.

Why It Matters: Global markets show rotation from tech to small-cap/defense, driven by US economic data and policy anticipation.