Investing.com - Asian-Pacific markets opened on a high note following a mixed performance on Wall Street.
BY 11:50 am AEDT (12:50 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2%, the KOSPI 200 gained 0.7% and the Nikkei 225 added 0.6%
InvestingPro subscribers are the first to know the news that's moving markets.
For an extra 10% discount, use Coupon: Canada2024. Don’t miss the New Year’s sale, for up to 60% off. Only until Jan 31.
US markets displayed a mixed performance, with the S&P 500 slightly down, breaking its run of record highs, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was boosted by positive earnings and outlook from American Express (NYSE:AXP). The major averages rose for the third consecutive week, following a slow start to the year.
During Friday's trading session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 60 points to reach a new record of 38,109, whereas the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite slipped 0.1% to 4,890 and 0.4% to 15,455, respectively.
Commodities saw mixed results as Brent crude oil increased 1.4% to US$83.55 a barrel, while gold dipped 0.1% to US$2,018.52. In the local bond market, the yields on Australian 2-year and 10-year government bonds remained steady at 3.89% and 4.24% respectively, while US Treasury rates rose with the 2-year yield at 4.35% and the 10-year yield at 4.14%.
In Asia, Chinese shares closed with mixed results as investors awaited stronger measures from Beijing to bolster the economy. In contrast, Hong Kong shares fell, led by declines in biotech companies Wuxi Biologics and WuXi AppTec, following a proposed US bill to restrict medical providers' business with specific Chinese biotech companies. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropped 1.3%, while Indian shares also fell, pulled down by technology stocks.
European shares saw a rise, buoyed by positive news from luxury goods and spirits companies, with the CAC 40, Stoxx Europe 600, FTSE 100, and DAX all posting gains during Friday's session.