South Korea’s Kospi reached a new record on Friday, as Asia-Pacific markets commenced the new year with mixed trading outcomes. The Kospi experienced an increase of 2.27%, reaching a closing record high of 4,309.63. Samsung Electronics experienced an increase of approximately 7% following reports that customers have lauded its high memory bandwidth, or HBM chips. The small-cap Kosdaq experienced an increase of 2.17%, concluding the session at 945.57. Several Asian markets remained closed for the holidays, notably Japan and mainland China.

In the final hour of trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index experienced an increase of 2.62%, driven primarily by a surge in educational services stocks. Shanghai Biren, an artificial intelligence chip designer, experienced a remarkable increase of over 70% following its debut, which was supported by a 5.58 billion Hong Kong dollar IPO valued at $717 million. The IPO, priced at 19.60 Hong Kong dollars, experienced a public offer that was subscribed over 2,300 times, even following the exercise of the upsize option, while the international offer saw a subscription rate of 25.95 times.

In other developments, Singapore’s economy recorded a year-on-year expansion of 5.7% for the fourth quarter, primarily propelled by robust growth in the manufacturing sector during the three months ending in December. The most recent figure exceeds the adjusted 4.3% expansion recorded in the preceding quarter. On Wednesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong conveyed in his New Year message that the nation achieved a robust 4.8% growth for the entirety of 2025, surpassing expectations. Singapore’s Straits Times Index reached a record high on Friday, reflecting an increase of 0.32%. India’s Nifty 50 index experienced an increase of 0.61%, while the Sensex saw a rise of 0.56%. Shares of casual-dining restaurant operator Sapphire Foods experienced a decline of up to 6.4% following the announcement of its merger plans with rival franchisee Devyani, although losses were subsequently reduced. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 experienced an increase of 0.15%, concluding the trading session at 8,727.8.

U.S. stock futures exhibited a positive trajectory during the early hours of trading in Asia, with S&P futures advancing by 0.15% and Nasdaq-100 futures increasing by 0.12%. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.16%. On Wednesday in the United States, the S&P 500 experienced a decline of 0.74%, the Nasdaq Composite decreased by 0.76%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a reduction of 0.63%. However, the S&P 500 remained positioned with a 16.39% gain in 2025. The Nasdaq Composite experienced a notable increase of 20.36%, propelled by enthusiasm surrounding AI, while the Dow posted a gain of 12.97% in 2025, somewhat constrained by its limited exposure to technology sectors.