Asian markets up in post-Christmas trade

Hong Kong – Asian equities inched up on Thursday in subdued trading, holding the gains recently spurred by the US-China trade thaw.

Following the Christmas lull across world markets, eyes are now on US unemployment data due later in the day, and Japanese industrial and retail data scheduled for release on Friday.

Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index closed 0.6 percent higher after a flat start. Shanghai was up 0.4 percent and Seoul also climbed 0.4 percent.

“Investor sentiment towards the global economy is improving,” said Rakuten Securities chief strategist Masayuki Kubota.

Hong Kong, Sydney and Wellington were closed for a public holiday.

“With the... tech sector giants leading the way, investors are showing no fear as the market remains underpinned by the thawing in the US-China trade squabble and easy central bank policy,” Stephen Innes, chief Asia market strategist at AxiTrader, said in a report.

Volumes are typically light during the holiday season, and the muted activity in Asia followed sleepy Christmas Eve sessions in many world markets.

“No news being good news, Asia should maintain... gains ahead of a US session likely to be positive,” Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia-Pacific at OANDA, wrote in a note.

In oil markets, the main contracts were up as the commodity remained strong thanks to trade optimism as well as the OPEC+ output reduction agreement.

Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate were both up 0.4 percent.

“Oil prices continue to show year-end strength supported by a combination of definitive progress on the US-China trade deal, the... OPEC/OPEC+ agreement, and slowing shale activity,” wrote AxiTrader’s Innes.