Asia-Pacific markets rose on Monday ahead of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index hitting its highest level since December 31. The US stock market will be closed on Monday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 1.76% in its last hour of trade, lifted by consumer cyclicals and health-care firms. Mainland China’s CSI 300 added 0.45% to end the day at 3,829.68 after China left its benchmark lending rates unchanged.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.17%, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.14%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.45%, and Malaysia’s exports surged 16.9% year on year in December.
Several central banks in Asia will convene later this week, including Malaysia’s central bank, which is expected to keep its policy rate steady at 3%. The Bank of Japan is also holding its next policy meeting from January 23-24.
In other news, President-elect Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the phone about trade and other issues. US markets will be closed on Monday ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
Key market data includes:
– Dow Jones Industrial Average: +0.78%
– S&P 500: +1.00%
– Nasdaq Composite: +1.51%
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/20/asia-markets-live-updates.html