In Asia, the stock markets opened broadly lower on Thursday as the stock markets opened after the turn of the year.
In China, the Caixin index describing industrial activity fell to 50.5 points in December from 51.5 points in November. Economists had expected the score to rise to 51.7. The Caixin index tracks small, private and export-oriented companies.
Chinese hypermarket chain of Sun Art Retail Group the share was in a brisk 20 percent decline. On Wednesday, the technology giant and the company’s major owner Alibaba told about his intentions to sell his holdings in the company.
Mainland China’s CSI 300 index was down 2.5 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 2.0 percent.
South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.2 percent and the Shanghai stock exchange was down 2.0 percent.
In Singapore, the gross domestic product grew by 4.3 percent in the last quarter of 2024, according to preliminary data. In the third quarter, the corresponding figure was 5.4 percent.
In Japan, the stock markets are closed on Thursday and Friday.
In terms of economic figures, the Eurozone M3 money amount for November and the final figures of the purchasing managers’ indices will be announced in the morning on Thursday.
In the United States, investors’ eyes are on new unemployment compensation applications and November’s construction investment figures. Futures are predicting a rising opening for the US stock markets on Thursday. The S&P 500 index rose by around 23 percent during 2024, the Dow Jones by just under 13 percent and the Nasdaq by around 29 percent.
In the foreign exchange market, the euro strengthened against the US dollar.
At 8:05 a.m., the euro fetched $1.0363, 162.89 yen, 0.82690 pounds or 11.459 Swedish kronor. The dollar was 157.19 yen and the pound was 1.2532 dollars.