JKB Financial Services Ltd.

As on : 29-Jan-2025

Market Commentary - Foreign Markets
29-Jan-2025 16:39

Japanese markets rally on a weaker yen

Asian stocks rose in thin trade on Wednesday, with markets in the region including China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea closed for Lunar New Year holidays.

Technology stocks rebounded as investor angst ebbed over the emergence of a low-cost Chinese AI model.

Market attention turned to U.S. mega-cap tech company earnings including Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Tesla, as well as the Federal Reserve's first interest-rate decision in 2025 due later in the day.

The dollar held steady in Asian trade following two days of consecutive advances. Gold ticked lower while oil prices were mixed.

Japanese markets rallied as a weaker yen boosted export-related stocks. The Nikkei average jumped 1.02 percent to 39,414.78, snapping three days of declines. The broader Topix index settled 0.68 percent higher at 2.775.59.

Panasonic rose about 1 percent and Sony surged 3.8 percent. SoftBank advanced 2.4 percent after recent rout, Advantest jumped 4.4 percent and Tokyo Electro added 2.3 percent.

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