People pose for photos in front of a Christmas light installation in central Seoul on December 22, 2023.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Christmas Eve, after key US benchmarks rose overnight, helped by gains in tech stocks.
Japan 225 slipped 0.32% to close at 39,036.85 as minutes of the Bank of Japan's October meeting that showed members agreed to keep the rates up if the economic and inflationary outlook were met.
Japanese auto manufacturer Honda up 12.69%, and Nissan shares rose more than 5%, a day later they announced the start of formal negotiations to unite, solving the payment for its creation the world's third largest automaker by sales. Negotiations are expected to conclude in June 2025.
South Korea Kospi down 0.06% to close at 2,440.52 while the Kosdaq was 0.13% higher to close at 680.11.
South Korean consumer confidence slipped to its lowest level in more than two years. The country consumer sentiment index fell by more than 12 points from November to 88.4 in December, falling below the 100-point mark that separates hope from despair, a survey published by the Bank of Korea showed.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.08% to close at 20,098.29, while mainland China's CSI 300 added 1.27% to close at 3,983.69.
Australia S&P/ASX 200 it closed 0.24% higher at 8,220.9 in a shorter trading day.
Overnight in the US, stocks rose as strength in technology names helped the market in general.
The S&P 500 changed so far +0.73% compared to 5,974.07. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite grew 0.98% to 19,764.89, as Tesla and Meta Platforms has added more than 2% and Nvidia has grown by more than 3%.
The Dow Jones industrial average erased earlier losses and ended the day 66.69 points higher, or 0.16%, to 42,906.95.
Trading was thin on Monday and is expected to remain quiet through the week. The New York Stock Exchange closes early on Tuesday for Christmas Eve at 1pm ET, and the market is closed on Christmas Day.
—CNBC's Yun Li contributed to this report.
