On Friday morning (16 January, 10:25 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), major indices in the Asia Pacific traded mixed amid a surge in technology stocks, following a new U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement. The deal stipulates that Taiwanese semiconductor firms will invest at least $250 billion into U.S. manufacturing operations, with Washington reciprocating by lowering tariffs.
Investor enthusiasm extended to financial equities in the U.S., where major bank shares gained after reporting robust fourth-quarter results. Goldman Sachs saw its shares climb over 4% after exceeding analysts’ profit forecasts, while Morgan Stanley surged nearly 6%, supported by strong performance in its wealth management division.
The positive sentiment was further supported by upbeat economic data, with U.S. jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 10 registering at 198,000, significantly below the 215,000 projected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones.
South Korea’s KOSPI advanced by 0.92% to 4,841.52. Australia’s ASX 200 rose by 0.49% to 8,904.70, while Japan’s NIKKEI fell by 0.44% to 53,874.59.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dipped by 0.05% to 4,110.66. Hong Kong’s HSI shrank by 0.08% to 26,900.77, while Shenzhen’s SZI expanded by 0.16% to 14,329.41.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) grew by 0.60% to 49,442.44. NASDAQ gained 0.25% to 23,530.02, and S&P 500 increased by 0.26% to 6,944.47. VIX slumped by 5.43% to 15.84.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Thursday, snapping a five-session rally, after President Donald Trump indicated a de-escalation in the Iranian crackdown on protesters, mitigating fears of military conflict and potential supply interruptions from the region. Brent crude ended the day down $2.76, or 4.15%, at $63.76 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate dropped $2.83, or 4.56%, to settle at $59.19.
This morning, Brent crude futures decreased 13 cents, or 0.20%, to $63.63 per barrel, and the WTI lost 10 cents, or 0.17%, to $59.09 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures slid by 0.47% to $4,602.00 per Troy ounce.
