Asia-Pacific shares advanced after United States President Donald Trump confirmed he will announce his choice for the next Federal Reserve chair on Friday.
Speaking at the premiere of Melania, a film about the first lady, Trump said the five-month search to replace current chair Jerome Powell was nearing its conclusion.
The selection process began in September and featured 11 candidates, including past and current Fed officials, economists, and Wall Street professionals.
By 12:10 am AEDT (1:10 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.2%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.2%. South Korea’s KOSPI 200 gained 1.5%, reaching fresh record highs.
Economic data in the region included Australia’s final demand Producer Price Index (PPI), which increased 0.8% quarter-on-quarter in Q4 2025, down from a 1.0% rise in the previous quarter and below market expectations of a 1.1% increase according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
In the U.S. on Thursday, major benchmarks closed mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.1%, the S&P 500 fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.7%.
Commodity markets saw Brent crude surge 3.3% to settle at US$69.59 per barrel, its highest level since 26 September.
Spot gold retreated 0.9% from record highs to US$5,370.23 per ounce, while silver fell 1% to US$115.39 per ounce.
In China, the Shanghai Composite added 0.2% to 4,158.0, and the CSI 300 rose 0.8% to 4,753.9.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index extended multi-year highs with a 0.5% gain to 27,968.1. India’s BSE Sensex increased 0.3% to 82,566.4.
European markets ended Thursday mixed. The UK’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 10,171.8, Germany’s DAX declined 2.1% to 24,309.5, and France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.1% to 8,071.4.
