Key Highlights
- equity benchmarks ended Friday’s session close to record highs, largely flat in subdued post-Christmas trade, while hopes of Federal Reserve rate cuts and safe-haven demand lifted precious metals to fresh all-time peaks.
- Asia-Pacific markets ended higher on Friday, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 climbed 0.68% to finish at 50,750.39, driven by gains in technology stocks, while the Topix edged up 0.15% to 3,423.0.
- South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.51% to 4,129.68, and the small-cap Kosdaq rose 0.49% to 919.67.
- Meanwhile, China’s CSI 300 increased 0.32% to 4,657.24.
- As we are approaching towards the New Year, the stock markets of several countries will remain shut on December 31 and January 1.
