A worker assembling a loader gear mechanism at a manufacturer in Qingzhou, China.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The Australian stock exchange opened on its last trading day of the year as investors in Asia awaited industrial data from China.
Australia S&P/ASX200 saw a decline of 0.56% on the shortened trading day.
Stock exchanges in Japan and South Korea are closed for the New Year's Eve holiday. South Korea's consumer inflation accelerated in December growing by 1.9% year on year. CPI in November was 1.5%. On a monthly basis, prices increased by 0.4%.
Traders will monitor China's December manufacturing PMI. Analysts polled by Reuters forecast a reading of 50.3, the same as November's PMI. A reading above 50 indicates an increase in activity, while a reading below this level indicates a contraction.
The Hong Kong stock exchanges will do this they have a shortened trading day.
U.S. stocks fell overnight in one of the last trading sessions of 2024 as a banner year appears to be ending on a bleak note for investors.
Trading was volatile throughout the day, with the Dow falling more than 700 points at session lows. There was no clear catalyst for Monday's declines and trading was expected to be light given the shortened week
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lose 418.48 points, or 0.97%, and close at 42,573.73. The S&P500 fell 1.07% to 5,906.94, a Nasdaq Composite fell 1.19% to 19,486.78.
— CNBC's Jesse Pound and Samantha Subin contributed to this report.