On Monday morning (12 January, 9:36 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in the Asia Pacific surged, buoyed by Wall Street’s positive momentum at the end of last week, after U.S. labor data pointed to a robust underlying jobs market.
The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that job growth slowed in December 2025, as nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000—falling short of economists’ expectations for a 73,000 gain and trailing November’s downwardly revised figure of 56,000. Despite the weaker-than-anticipated payroll numbers, the unemployment rate edged down to 4.4%, narrowly beating the 4.5% forecast.
Investors are also closely observing developments in global energy markets amid continued unrest in Iran, which has seen more than 500 casualties during three weeks of protests, according to a U.S.-based human rights group. On Sunday, President Donald Trump stated he is considering various measures, including potential military action.
Notably, trading in Japan was halted for the day due to a national holiday.
South Korea’s KOSPI jumped by 1.26% to 4,644.06, and Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.38% to 8,751.20.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC increased by 0.38% to 4,136.09. Shenzhen’s SZI grew by 0.57% to 14,200.86, and Hong Kong’s HSI added 0.38% to 26,331.19.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Friday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained 0.48% to 49,504.07. NASDAQ escalated by 0.82% to 23,671.34, and S&P 500 expanded by 0.65% to 6,966.28. VIX slumped by 6.21% to 14.49.
As for commodities, oil prices experienced a notable uptick of 2% on Friday, as traders grew increasingly concerned about potential supply disruptions following heightened protests in Iran and an escalation of conflict in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures finished the session up $1.35, or 2.18%, at $63.34 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude advanced $1.36, or 2.35%, settling at $59.12 per barrel.
In early trading on Monday, crude markets showed limited movement as investors continued to weigh possible supply threats from Iran linked to mounting civil unrest. Simultaneously, ongoing diplomatic efforts to accelerate the return of Venezuelan oil to global markets acted as a counterbalance, restraining further price gains. By 01:31 GMT, Brent crude edged down by 5 cents to $63.29 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate slipped 6 cents to $59.06 a barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures soared by 1.78% to $4,580.80 per Troy ounce.
