Asia markets set to open mostly higher after S&P 500 hits record
Published Tue, Jan 27 2026
6:59 PM EST
Lim Hui Jie@in/hui-jie-lim-a7371176/WATCH LIVEKey Points
- Wall Street rally pushes S&P 500 to fresh record, lifting Asia-Pacific market sentiment.
- Australia will release its fourth-quarter inflation numbers later today.
- Intervention talk swirls around the yen.
Melbourne, Australia
Kieran Stone | Moment | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mostly higher on Tuesday, tracking gains on Wall Street after the S&P 500 closed at a record high.
The broad market index gained 0.41% to finish at 6,978.60, supported by gains in Apple and Microsoft.
Asian markets appeared poised to extend Tuesday's gains, with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbing 0.38% and on pace for a fourth straight winning session.
Australia will release its fourth-quarter inflation numbers later today, with headline inflation expected to come in at 3.6%, its highest level in six quarters.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 27,186, also higher than the HSI's last close of 27,126.95
However, Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a weaker open, with the contract in Chicago at 53,025 and its counterpart in Osaka at 52,380, compared to the previous close of 53,333.54.
Late Tuesday, the yen strengthened to its highest level in almost three months against the dollar, touching a low of 152.08 amid intervention expectations swirling around the currency.
Overnight in the U.S., the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.91%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke ranks, losing 408.99 points, or 0.83%, and settling at 49,003.4.
S&P 500 futures were near the flatline ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and earnings reports from major tech companies.
The central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate steady at a target range of 3.5% to 3.75%, but traders will be seeking hints on longer-term changes to monetary policy.Â
âCNBC's Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.