South Korea Financial Markets
Dancers in a bull-shaped costume perform to celebrate the opening for the 2026 trading year outside of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
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Asian shares have begun the new year with an upbeat start, led by a 2% gain for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index. Strong factory data for the region helped drive buying in the first trading session of 2026. U.S. futures and oil prices gained. Markets were still closed Friday in Tokyo, Shanghai, Thailand and New Zealand. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 pulled back 0.7% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite gave back 0.8%. Wall Street reopens for trading on Friday. The S&P 500 rose more than 16% last year as investors embraced the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence.
