Overview
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.2% as Baidu rose 7.5% on its plan to spin off AI chip unit Kunlunxin for a Hong Kong listing in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained about 0.2% after a soft open, with energy and uranium names leading and the big four banks posting modest advances.
- Northern Star Resources slid roughly 9%–10% after reporting production was hit by a primary crusher failure at its Kalgoorlie processing center for four weeks.
- Uranium-linked stocks in Australia rallied after U.S.-based Duke Energy filed an initial application to build a new nuclear reactor in North Carolina.
- Singapore recorded a stronger-than-expected 4.8% GDP expansion for 2025, as U.S. equity futures and precious metals firmed with several major Asian markets still closed for holidays.