Asia-Pacific stock markets are expected to open mixed on Friday, marking a cautious start to the new year. This movement follows the New Year's Eve close of US markets, where the three major Wall Street indexes weakened, although overall they still posted positive performance for 2025. Several major Asian markets remain closed for the New Year holiday, including Japan and mainland China. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index opened relatively stable with no major movements. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures were at 25,648, slightly higher than the last close of 25,630.54,...
Japanese stocks rallied on Friday, boosted by a weaker yen following weaker-than-expected inflation data in Tokyo. The Nikkei stock index rose 0.6% to 50,700.49, with technology and video game stocks leading the gains. SoftBank Group rose 1.5%, while Nintendo also posted a 1.6% gain, reflecting market optimism about Japan's technology sector. The weaker yen also supported Japanese stocks, with USD/JPY trading at 156.22, up from 155.81 at the previous Tokyo close. Investors are now closely watching any comments from Japanese government officials regarding the yen's depreciation, as well as...
The Nikkei 225 added 64 points, or 0.1%, to close at 50,408 on Thursday, swinging from a slight dip in the prior session after Wall Street's S&P 500 and Dow Jones hit fresh record highs on Wednesday. Trading was subdued in holiday-thinned conditions as investors awaited cabinet approval of Japan's FY2026 budget, estimated at JPY 122 trillion, a second consecutive record, potentially as early as Friday. Gains were tempered by caution ahead of key domestic data due Friday, including December Tokyo CPI, November unemployment and retail sales, plus flash industrial output. Technology...
Japanese stocks rose on Thursday after the S&P 500 index posted gains in a shortened session ahead of Christmas, despite many Asian markets being closed. The Topix index rose 0.3% to 3,417.98, while the Nikkei 225 also gained 0.1% to 50,407.79. Despite the gains, trading remained thin as many European and Asian markets were closed for the holidays. Among stocks that provided positive momentum, Sony Group Corp. rose 1.2%, the largest contributor to the Topix's rise. The electrical equipment and wholesale trade sectors posted the largest gains, while banking and non-ferrous metals stocks...
The Nikkei 225 index opened slightly higher today (December 25th), in the range of 50,344 to 50,475 points, after Asian markets showed mixed movements in the previous session. Market liquidity tends to remain thin ahead of the Christmas holiday, reflecting a calmer and more cautious trading atmosphere. Market sentiment was influenced by the surge in gold and silver prices, indicating investors' flight to safe-haven assets, as well as positive US economic data that boosted expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. However, the strengthening of the Japanese yen is a...
US stock indexes closed higher in Wednesday's shortened trading session (December 24), maintaining strong momentum from this week amid expectations that the current economic backdrop continues to support earnings prospects for the coming year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow jumped 0.7%, both hitting record highs, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.3%. Yesterday's third-quarter GDP data was well above expectations for a 4.3% annual expansion, reflecting strong private consumption and curbing concerns that tariffs are hampering spending or fueling a surge in inflation. Meanwhile, initial...