Asian shares mostly rose Tuesday, following a tech rally on Wall Street led by Nvidia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped nearly 2% to finish at 40,083.30. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.1% to 2,492.10.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.3% to 8,285.10. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slid 1.2% to 19,447.58, as shares in technology and games company Tencent plunged 7.3% after it was hit by U.S. sanctions. The Shanghai Composite edged 0.7% higher to 3,229.64.
European benchmarks declined in early trading. France’s CAC 40 fell 0.3%, while Germany’s DAX declined 0.1%.
Nvidia boosts Asian market gains
Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 0.5%. U.S. shares were set to drift lower, with Dow and S&P 500 futures down slightly. Investors are watching for possible policy changes under incoming President Donald Trump.
Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, noted that traders are carefully calibrating their strategies for potential shifts in policy and economic directives that the new administration may bring. Later in the week, the Federal Reserve will release minutes from its last policy meeting, where it cut its main interest rate for a third straight time. The monthly jobs report, along with an update on consumer sentiment, are set for Friday.
So far, the economy has remained remarkably resilient. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar traded at 148.35 Japanese yen, down from 148.47 yen. The euro cost $1.1702, up from $1.1698.
