Stock market today: Asian shares advance after a mixed finish on Wall Street
Associated PressBANGKOK — Asian shares were mostly higher on Friday, with Japan’s benchmark registering strong gains for a second straight day. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.4% to 40,139.90, while the Japanese yen sank further after the central bank governor indicated that interest rate hikes might be delayed by threats to the economy such as higher U.S. tariffs on imports. South Korea’s Kospi was the outlier, falling 1.4% to 2,393.60 after the country’s main opposition party submitted a motion on Thursday to impeach the country’s acting leader over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of rebellion charges against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol stemming from his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3. equities are stuck in a holding pattern as trading volumes dry up following the holiday break,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. “Liquidity remains razor-thin, and market moves appear more about year-end housekeeping than aggressive positioning.” The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% to 6,037.59 after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.