Japan’s Nikkei rises after BOJ holds rates, Wall Street futures gain as EuroStoxx 50 futures dip
MSCI’s broad Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan rose 0.5 percent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.36 percent
Shares across the Asian stock market moved higher on Friday after the Bank of Japan kept its key interest rate unchanged, while gold and silver rallied to fresh record levels as renewed weakness weighed on the U.S. dollar.
On Thursday, Wall Street stocks pushed higher for a second straight session after U.S. President Donald Trump softened earlier tariff threats against European goods and dismissed the idea of seizing Greenland by force. The S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.9 percent.
South Korean stocks lead Asian gains
In the Asian stock market, MSCI’s broad Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan rose 0.5 percent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.36 percent. The yen dipped 0.1 percent versus the U.S. dollar following the BOJ’s announcement, trading last at 158.61 yen per dollar. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is scheduled to hold a news conference at 6:30 GMT to discuss the decision.
Earlier, government data indicated that Japan’s core consumer prices increased 2.4 percent in December compared with a year ago, matching analysts’ expectations.
South Korean stocks led Asian gains, with the KOSPI rising 0.9 percent for a third consecutive day. On Thursday, the index surpassed the 5,000 mark for the first time, a milestone President Lee Jae Myung had aimed to achieve through market reforms and tax policies to reduce the so-called “Korea discount.”
The tech-heavy index was boosted by chipmaker Samsung Electronics, following disappointing quarterly revenue and profit forecasts from U.S. chipmaker Intel. Intel, which has struggled to meet demand for server chips used in AI data centers, saw its shares drop 11.16 percent in after-hours trading.
China’s and indexes declined, while Hong Kong’s index added 0.31 percent. Australia’s rose 0.13 percent on Friday, while Singapore’s index gained 1.25 percent.
In India, the index fell 0.38 percent and largely lagged its peers with over a 1.6 percent drop this week.
Wall Street rebounds for second consecutive session
In the U.S. stock market, S&P 500 futures gained 0.26 percent, and Nasdaq futures rose 0.28 percent. Regional markets opened on a positive note, following Wall Street’s rebound for a second consecutive session after U.S. President Donald Trump softened his stance on Greenland. However, Trump’s remarks about a U.S. “armada” heading to Iran tempered risk appetite in Asia, even as gold prices surged to a new record high.
The U.S. dollar index, tracking the greenback against six major currencies, was last flat at 98.36, hovering near its lowest levels of the year after recording its largest single-day drop in six weeks on Thursday.
Fed funds futures indicate a roughly 96 percent probability that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates at its upcoming two-day meeting starting January 28, essentially unchanged from the previous day, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
Read: Gold prices surge to record-high $4,966.59 as silver nears $100, UAE rates hit AED597
Precious metals hit fresh record highs
In the European stock market, EuroStoxx 50 futures dipped 0.12 percent, while Germany’s DAX gained 0.02 percent and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.04 percent.
On Friday, precious metals hit fresh records as the dollar lingered near its yearly lows. Gold extended its rally for a fifth consecutive day, rising 0.1 percent to $4,943.43 per ounce, while silver jumped 2.8 percent to $98.88 per ounce. Platinum also reached new highs.
In energy markets, Brent crude climbed 56 cents, or 0.87 percent, to $64.62 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 53 cents, or 0.89 percent, to $59.89 a barrel, as Trump’s softened comments on Greenland and Iran eased concerns over potential geopolitical supply disruptions.
In cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin added 0.07 percent to $89,531, while Ether eased slightly to $2,949.18.
