Asia-Pacific stocks set to open higher; several markets closed for Boxing Day holiday

Asia-Pacific stocks set to open higher; several markets closed for Boxing Day holiday


People standing outside astore at Pitt Street Mall in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on Boxing Day. 

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher Thursday, with several markets remaining closed for Boxing Day.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a stronger open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,240 and its counterpart in Osaka at 39,140 compared to the previous close of 39,130.43.

Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong markets were closed for the Boxing Day holiday.

Traders in Asia will be looking at November manufacturing output data coming out of Singapore later in the day.

Overnight in the U.S., markets were closed for Christmas. Stocks jumped Tuesday on Christmas Eve as the market pulled off back-to-back gains in the holiday week.

The S&P 500 added 1.1% to 6,040.04, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 390.08 points, or 0.91%, to 43,297.03. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.35% to 20,031.13, helped by a 7.4% jump in Tesla shares.

Tuesday marked the start of the seasonal Santa Claus rally, which happens in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in January. 

— CNBC’s Yun Li and Sean Conlon contributed to this story.



Source

Defense stocks have floundered since the Iran war began. Here’s why
World

Defense stocks have floundered since the Iran war began. Here’s why

Defense stocks haven’t been the slam-dunk play some investors expected as the U.S.-Iran war broke out. The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) has dropped about 12% since the start of March, when the Middle East conflict began escalating following the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran. The S & P 500 added 3.5% over the […]

Read More
U.S. is ‘being humiliated by Iran,’ says Germany’s Merz, as Europe’s patience wanes
World

U.S. is ‘being humiliated by Iran,’ says Germany’s Merz, as Europe’s patience wanes

US President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting with Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, at the White House in Washington, DC on April 23, 2026. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. is being “humiliated” by the Iranian regime, Germany’s chancellor […]

Read More
Op-ed: In blocking Meta-Manus deal, China sends a powerful message to U.S. market about AI race
World

Op-ed: In blocking Meta-Manus deal, China sends a powerful message to U.S. market about AI race

When Meta agreed to acquire Manus, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence startup with Chinese roots for roughly $2 billion last December, many saw the transaction as just another routine deal in today’s global technology economy: capital crossing borders, startups relocating to friendlier jurisdictions, and major platform companies acquiring talent and intellectual property in the race to […]

Read More