Asia markets rise on upbeat Wall Street momentum

December 12, 2025 (MLN): Asia markets moved mostly higher on Friday as regional investors took positive cues from Wall Street where two major U.S. benchmarks closed at new record highs.

The upbeat momentum followed the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut which lifted sentiment across global markets, according to CNBC.

The Fed lowered its key overnight borrowing rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday which placed the policy rate in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. The move boosted expectations of steadier economic growth and improved liquidity conditions.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.96% and the Topix gained 1.18%. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.29% while the small cap Kosdaq hovered around the flatline. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.83%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 0.71% but the mainland’s CSI 300 slipped 0.2%. The mixed performance in China came after top leaders concluded an annual economic planning meeting on Thursday where they reaffirmed broad support measures for 2025.

The agenda included efforts to lift consumption and stabilize the property market while strengthening domestic technology capacity ahead of the next five year plan that begins in 2026.

In the United States the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 reached fresh highs as investors shifted out of high growth technology stocks into companies that tend to benefit from a strengthening U.S. economy after the Fed’s policy easing.

The Dow jumped 646.26 points or 1.34% to close at 48,704.01 which marked a new record. Visa led gains in the index after an upgrade by Bank of America.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.21% to 6,901.00 also setting a new closing high. The Nasdaq Composite however dipped 0.26% to finish at 23,593.86.

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