Singapore city skyline on September 18, 2016.
Rustam Azmi | News from Getty Images | Getty Images
Australian stock markets opened higher on Thursday, with several other Asian markets set to resume trading after the New Year holiday.
Australia S&P/ASX200 increased by 0.17% at the opening. Markets in Japan remained closed on Thursday and Friday for a public holiday.
The South Korean stock exchange will open one hour later than usual, at 10:00 a.m. local time, according to the exchangein connection with the ceremonial opening of the new year.
Traders in Asia assessed Singapore's gross domestic product data. Based on preliminary estimates, the economy increased by 4.3% year on year in Q4 2024, slower than the 5.4% growth in the previous quarter.
Initial GDP estimates are based largely on data from the first two months of the quarter and are subject to revision as more data becomes available. – reports the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Annual economic growth in 2024 accelerated to 4% from 1.1% in 2023, official data showed on Thursday.
The Caixin/S&P Global China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for December is on track. Economists expect manufacturing activity to be 51.7, up slightly from 51.5 in November, according to LSEG data.
A private survey follows the day after The official PMI in December missed expectationsarriving at 50.1.
U.S. stock futures were little changed as investors braced for the new year after all three major indexes posted double-digit annual gains in 2024.
Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were flat while S&P500 futures gained 0.06%, Nasdaq 100 Futures advanced 0.17%.
The S&P 500 index posted an annual gain of more than 20% for the second year in a row, rising 23.31% last year after gaining 24.2% in 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 12.88%, while the Nasdaq increased by 28.64%.
— CNBC's Christina Cheddar Berk contributed to this report.