On December 12, 2024, Asia-Pacific stock markets experienced broad gains following positive sentiment in U.S. markets, which were fueled by inflation data in the United States meeting expectations. Investors across the region took a cue from Wall Street, where the Nasdaq Composite surged to record highs.

Key Regional Market Movements

• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell slightly by 0.25%, despite a strong jobs report from Australia, which revealed that the unemployment rate dropped to an 8-month low of 3.9% in November, better than economists' expectations of a rise to 4.2%.
• Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.3%, while the Topix gained 1%. Both indexes showed solid growth as investors remained optimistic about the global economic recovery.
• South Korea’s Kospi was up by 0.4%, while the Kosdaq index remained flat amid political uncertainties in the country.
• China’s CSI 300 rose by 0.8%, as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index posted a strong gain of 1.7%, with investors awaiting data on the city’s industrial production for the third quarter.

Wall Street Performance and Inflation Data Impact

In the U.S., inflation data for November came in within expectations, boosting investor sentiment and leading to a rally in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which surged by 1.77% to finish at a record high of 20,034.89. This gain helped the Nasdaq hit an all-time high, bolstered by strong performances from major tech stocks like Nvidia (up more than 3%) and Tesla (up nearly 6%).

However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged behind, declining by 0.22%, or 99.27 points, to close at 44,148.56, reflecting mixed performance across sectors.

The S&P 500 gained 0.82%, closing at 6,084.19, benefiting from a broad rise across sectors, while investor sentiment remained hopeful for potential interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

Outlook and Global Implications

The positive inflation data in the U.S. is likely to fuel expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve, which could provide further support for equity markets globally. Additionally, with the Asia-Pacific region's markets performing well, many investors remain optimistic about the ongoing economic recovery and green mobility trends, particularly in countries like China and South Korea.

In the coming days, investors will closely monitor industrial production data from Hong Kong and any potential political developments in South Korea, which could impact investor sentiment.

The Upcoming IPOs in this week and coming weeks are International Gemmological, Hamps Bio, NACDAC Infrastructure, Transrail Lighting, Identical Brain Studios, Rosmerta Digital, Indo Farm and Avanse Financial.The Current active IPO is and Yash Highvoltage, Inventurus Knowledge, Sai Life Sciences, Mobikwik, Vishal Mega Mart, Supreme Facility, Purple United, Jungle Camps and Toss The Coin.For more details on upcoming IPOs, you can visit our page at Best IPO to Apply Now - IPO List 2024, Latest IPO, Upcoming IPO, Recent IPO News, Live IPO GMP Today - Finance Saathi and stay updated with the latest news on IPO updates on Top News Headlines - Share Market News, Latest IPO News, Business News, Economy News - Finance Saathi.Join our Trading with CA Abhay Telegram Channel for regular Stock Market Trading and Investment Calls by CA Abhay Varn - SEBI Registered Research Analyst & Finance Saathi Telegram Channel for Regular Share Market, News & IPO Updates. Start your Stock Market Journey and Apply in IPO by opening a Free Demat Account in Choice Broking FinX.