South Korea's Kospi reached a record high in 2026, driven by strong performances in tech stocks like Samsung Electronics, amid mixed regional markets and positive economic data from Singapore, while US futures indicated a cautious optimism for the new year.
Asian stocks showed mixed performance with Japanese and South Korean markets leading gains due to a tech rebound, while China lagged despite a slight rise in inflation; regional markets were influenced by US futures and concerns over AI-driven tech valuations.
South Korea's Kospi surged over 3% led by banking and insurance stocks, as Asian markets rebounded following last week's AI-driven declines and mixed economic data, including higher-than-expected Chinese inflation and cautious Bank of Japan policy signals, amidst a complex global economic backdrop.
Most Asian stocks traded in a tight range as anticipation of key economic readings and inflation data kept sentiment cautious, with South Korean stocks rallying on the back of tech stocks boosted by artificial intelligence hype. Meanwhile, Japanese and Australian markets remained muted ahead of inflation readings, while Chinese stocks struggled amid concerns over slowing economic growth.