Asian stocks started the day on a positive note as Japan’s markets reopened following a long weekend. Japanese equities began with gains, mirroring the positive sentiment from Wall Street.
In early trading, the Nikkei 225 index surged by 1.66%, or 611.48 points, reaching 37,508.90, while the broader Topix index rose by 1.05%, or 26.82 points, to 2,584.70.
Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index remained relatively unchanged, dipping by 1.11%, or 8.40 points, to 7,606.50. On the other hand, South Korea’s KOSPI index saw an increase of 1.27%, or 33.19 points, reaching 2,653.51. Notably, markets in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam were closed for public holidays.
Earlier in the U.S., the Nasdaq briefly dipped, approaching its record closing high set in November 2021, while the Dow saw moderate gains ahead of key inflation reports due later in the week, which could impact Federal Reserve policy.
The S&P 500 closed marginally lower but maintained its position just above the 5,000-point threshold achieved on Friday. Specifically, the S&P 500 dropped by 0.08%, or 4.12 points, to finish at 5,022.49 points, while the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.27%, or 42.74 points, to 15,947.92. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed by 0.35%, or 135.76 points, reaching 38,807.45.
