Asian Markets Rise, Investors Await Japan Interest Rate Decision
Most Asia-Pacific markets rose on Friday, following a positive trend on Wall Street. The gains came after geopolitical concerns eased, and investors awaited the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) interest rate decision.
The Bank of Japan is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.75%. HSBC estimates the next 25 basis point rate hike will occur in July 2026, although an acceleration is possible if the yen continues to weaken. Japan's headline inflation fell to 2.1% in December, the lowest since March 2022, while core inflation stood at 2.4% year-on-year.
In the stock market, the Nikkei 225 edged up 0.09% and the Topix rose 0.27%. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7%, while the Kosdaq, a benchmark index for smaller companies, rose 0.74%. Investors are also keeping an eye on Asian chipmakers after Intel shares fell 13% in after-hours trading in the US due to weak earnings projections.
Meanwhile, in the United States, major indexes continued to strengthen after tensions in Greenland eased. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.63%, the S&P 500 gained 0.55%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.91%, driven by gains in major technology stocks such as Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms. (az)
Source: Newsmaker.id
