Asia markets to rise in muted session as lots of marketplaces shut for holiday

Aerial check out of the money town of Seoul in South Korea, found at sunset.

Tobiasjo | E+ | Getty Pictures

Shares in Tokyo and Seoul are set to trade bigger on Friday in a muted session as most marketplaces are closed for a holiday in the broader Asia-Pacific area.

The Nikkei futures deal in Chicago was at 27,620 even though its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,556 against the Nikkei 225‘s very last close at 27,472.63. South Korea’s Kospi 200 futures also pointed to a better open.

Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and India are shut.

Supply

World

Australia banned social media for under 16s a month ago — here’s how it’s going

January 15, 2026

A notification on the Instagram app on a smartphone arranged in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images It’s been a month since Australia banned under-16s from social media platforms, and some teens are glad to be free of the distraction, while others have found ways to bypass the […]

World

UK economy surprises with stronger-than-expected 0.3% growth in November

January 15, 2026

Restaurants and pubs on James Street in London, UK, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.K. economy grew by a more-than-expected 0.3% in November, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a very modest growth figure of 0.1%. The ONS […]

World

European markets head for higher open as traders track Greenland, Iran news

January 15, 2026

European stocks are expected to open broadly higher Thursday as traders digest the latest geopolitical news around Greenland and Iran. Source