On the last trading day of this week, the Hang Seng Index rose by 5.59 points | Lianhe Zaobao

As investors closely monitor the upcoming key U.S. employment data and the U.S. Supreme Court's potential ruling on President Trump's global tariff policy, the Asia-Pacific stock markets showed mixed performance on Friday (January 9). The FTSE Straits Times Index closed up 5.59 points or 0.12%, ending at 4,744.66 points. In other Asia-Pacific markets, the stock markets in Taiwan and Sydney fell by 0.24% and 0.01%, respectively. Tokyo led the gains with an increase of 1.61%, while the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock markets rose by 1.34% and 0.92%, respectively. Seoul and Hong Kong stock markets increased by 0.75% and 0.32%. Driven by investor optimism regarding technology stocks and corporate performance, the stock market has had a good start this year; however, the market is currently more focused on the direction of U.S. interest rates. The upcoming non-farm employment data for December last year will have a significant impact on the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions, making it the focal point of market attention. Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, stated, "As the first full trading week of the year comes to an end, global stock market sentiment is becoming weaker. The popularity of hot stocks over the past three years is fading, and the market needs new catalysts; employment data may provide some stimulus." She further pointed out that if the data falls short of market expectations, it may reignite market hopes for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve, thereby lowering yields and boosting risk assets, with small and mid-cap stocks and cyclical sectors expected to outperform large technology stocks. Conversely, if the data exceeds expectations, yields may rise and put pressure on stock market valuations, making cash-rich technology companies relatively more advantageous. However, if the data is too weak, it could also impact overall market sentiment. The local stock market recorded a trading volume of 1.3 billion shares throughout the day, with a turnover of 1.47 billion dollars; 289 stocks rose, while 236 stocks fell. Blue-chip stocks saw more gains than losses, with 13 rising, nine falling, and eight remaining unchanged. The biggest gainer, Jardine Matheson Holdings (JMH), closed up 4.34% at 74.72 dollars; Hongkong Land rose by 3.2%, closing at 7.73 dollars. Other rising stocks had gains ranging from 0.03% to 1.79%. On the downside, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) saw the largest decline, down 1.83%, closing at 19.8 dollars. Other constituents of the index fell between 0.22% and 0.97%