Tokyo, Japan
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Stocks in the Asia-Pacific region were mostly higher on Thursday, with many markets remaining closed for Christmas.
Japan Nikki 225 The Topix index rose 1.12% to close at 8220.9, while the Topix index added 1.20% to close at 2766.78, a day after a report said the country was preparing A record budget of $735 billion For the fiscal year beginning in April. A draft reviewed by Reuters revealed that the budget would cover increased social security expenditures and debt service.
In addition, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Wednesday that “Japan’s economy You will get closer to sustainable And stable inflation of 2 percent (in 2025), accompanied by an increase in wages.”
The yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds rose 1.3 basis points to 1.078%, while the yen rose to 157.16 against the dollar on Thursday, indicating that the market expects the bank to raise interest rates.
Shares of Japanese automakers April and Honda It rose 6.58% and 3.84%, respectively. Both companies started Formal merger negotiations At the beginning of the week, which could create the world's third-largest automaker by sales.
shares Japan AirlinesMeanwhile, it closed down 0.24%. After a cyber attack caused delays For both domestic and international flights. Its systems have since been restored to normal.
South Korea Cosby The Kosdaq Index fell by 0.44% to close at 2,429.67, while the Kosdaq Index lost 0.66% to close at 675.64. The country's main opposition Democratic Party He introduced a bill to impeach acting President Han Dak-soo, It is scheduled to be voted on on Friday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Alibaba Group Holding E-Mart is close to finalizing an agreement to merge its business in South Korea with E-Mart's e-commerce platform in order to strengthen its position in the country's fast-growing online retail market, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. E-Mart shares closed up 5.45%.
China's CSI 300 index rose slightly to close at 3,987.48 points The World Bank updated the country's GDP growth forecast For 2024 and 2025, reflecting recent policy adjustments. It now expects China's GDP to grow by 4.9% in 2024 compared to its previous forecast of 4.8%. In 2025, China's GDP is expected to reach 4.5%, higher than the organization's previous forecast of 4.1%.
Make efforts to stabilize and stop the decline in China's real estate market Will continue in 2025, China government Announced Wednesday. Measures will include controlling the supply of commercial housing to improve supply.
Industrial output in Singapore It rose 8.5% in November compared to the previous year, driven by strong performance in the electronics sector, marking the fifth consecutive month of growth. But the reading was lower than Reuters' expectations of 10% growth. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the country's manufacturing output contracted by 0.4%, compared with a Reuters forecast of an expansion of 0.8%.
Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong markets were closed for the Christmas holiday.
Overnight in the United States, markets were closed for Christmas. Stocks jumped Tuesday on Christmas Eve as the market reversed back-to-back gains over the holiday week.
the Standard & Poor's 500 It added 1.1% to 6,040.04, and Dow Jones Industrial Average The index gained 390.08 points, or 0.91%, to 43,297.03 points. the Nasdaq Composite It rose 1.35% to 20,031.13 points, supported by a 7.4% jump in Tesla shares.
Tuesday marked the start of the seasonal Santa Claus rally, which occurs in the last five trading days of the year and the first two days in January.
CNBC's Yun Li and Sean Conlon contributed to this story.
