Asian stocks climb as Wall Street sets new records
Asian stocks rose for the second day straight on Tuesday, with Japan's Topix and the MSCI Asia Pacific index both inching higher.
The boost follows a record-setting run on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 erased its December losses and is now aiming for an eighth monthly win in a row.
Why does this matter?
Wall Street's rally is fueling optimism across Asia, with tech stocks like semiconductors seeing big gains—up 43% this year.
Investors are feeling confident as rate cuts are expected in the US next year and cash levels remain low, hinting at strong momentum heading into 2026.
Other market moves
US futures kept rising, gold hit new highs, and Japan's yen strengthened after a warning from officials about speculative trading.
Meanwhile in China, property giant Vanke got extra time to pay its bonds—a rare bit of good news for China's struggling real estate sector.