On Thursday morning (23 January, 9:30 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most indices in Asia Pacific exhibited an upward trend, with investors digesting key data in the region, such as South Korea’s 4Q24 GDP growth, and Japan’s export data.
South Korea’s GDP growth in 4Q24 reached 1.2% year-on-year, marking its slowest pace since 2Q23. The data fell short of the 1.4% growth projected by economists surveyed by Reuters and was weaker than the 1.5% increase in 3Q24. Meanwhile, the GDP growth for 2024 reached 2%, up from a 1.4% increase in the previous year.
In Japan, the export figure in December saw a 2.8% year-on-year growth, surpassing Reuters’ projections of 2.3%, while being lower than the 3.8% growth recorded in November. Meanwhile, the country’s imports increased by 1.8%, falling short of Reuters’ expected 2.6% rise and contrasting with a 3.8% decline in November. The trade surplus for Japan stood at 130.9 billion yen ($836.90 million), significantly higher than the anticipated 53 billion yen deficit.
South Korea’s KOSPI dropped by 0.86% to 2,525.25. Australia’s ASX 200 fell by 0.67% to 8,373.1, while Japan’s NIKKEI rose by 0.38% to 39,798.12.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC soared by 1.21% to 3,252.51. Hong Kong’s HSI surged by 0.2% to 19,819.25, and Shenzhen’s SZI increased by 0.65% to 10,292.24.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets edged up on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) grew by 0.3% to 44,156.73. NASDAQ escalated by 1.28% to 20,009.34, and S&P 500 added by 0.61% to 6,086.37. VIX climbed by 0.27% to 15.1.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Wednesday, with traders assessing the potential impact of proposed tariffs by the U.S. President Donald Trump on global economic growth and energy demand. Brent futures declined 29 cents or 0.37% to $79 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contracted 39 cents or 0.51% to $75.44 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures lost 28 cents or 0.35% to $78.72 a barrel, and the WTI dropped 27 cents or 0.36% to $75.17 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures slid 0.31% to $2,762.2 per Troy ounce.
