Boxing Day holiday, Nikkei 225, Kospi, CSI 300
TOKYO, JAPAN – JULY 27: Pedestrians and shoppers walk through the Akihabara area on July 27, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Japan’s core consumer price index climbed by 3.3% in June, outpacing the US figure for the first time in eight years as the Bank of Japan holds its monetary policy meeting on July 27 and 28. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Friday, with several exchanges in the region closed for the Boxing Day holiday.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.47%, while the Topix was up 0.27%.
Core consumer prices in the country’s capital Tokyo rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, according to government data Friday. The core CPI, which strips out volatile fresh food costs, remained above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, reinforcing the case for more interest rate hikes.
The latest reading was below the 2.5% rise expected by economists polled by Reuters and the 2.8% increase in November. Tokyo’s inflation numbers are widely considered to be a leading indicator of nationwide trends.
South Korea’s Kospi index added 0.53%, and the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 0.42%.
Australia and Hong Kong markets were closed for the holiday.
U.S. equity futures ticked slightly higher in early Asian hours, after the S&P 500 closed at a new record for the second straight day on Wednesday stateside.
The broad market index advanced 0.32%, ending the session at 6,932.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 288.75 points, or 0.60%, and also posted a closing record of 48,731.16. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.22% and settled at 23,613.31.
— CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.