Asian stocks today: Markets trade mostly in red on last trading day of 2025; HSI sheds over 200 points, Kospi flat

Asian markets slipped mostly into red on Wednesday, the final trading session of 2025, as investors remained cautious ahead of the New Year holiday and took cues from Wall Street losses.In Hong Kong, HSI slipped over 224 points to 25,630. Nikkai was also trading at a loss, shedding 187 points or 0.3%. Shanghai and Shenzhen were also down 0.07% and 0.67% at 10:35 AM IST. South Korea's Kospi was also down 6 points to trade at 4,214. With the holiday season keeping participation low, trading volumes across the region remained thin. Commodities offered a steadier picture, with precious metals holding their ground after retreating from record levels seen earlier in the week. The uneven performance followed a muted session in the United States, where major Wall Street indices finished slightly lower on Tuesday. Investor unease over stretched valuations in artificial intelligence (AI)-linked stocks continued to weigh on sentiment. Even so, US markets were still set to deliver solid gains for the full year, a trend mirrored across much of Asia. Regional markets benefited from a combination of easing monetary conditions and a powerful rally in technology shares. In China, fresh official data showed factory activity edged up marginally in December, offering a rare positive signal at the close of an otherwise subdued year for the world’s second-largest economy. A key driver of the year’s global market strength has been the US Federal Reserve’s shift towards monetary easing in the latter half of 2025, alongside a flood of investment into AI-related technologies. Minutes from the Fed’s December policy meeting revealed that most officials consider further interest rate cuts appropriate, provided inflation continues to cool as anticipated. Precious metals have been among the most volatile assets in recent days, lifted by their demand as safe-haven investments amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Gold and silver both touched record highs last week before pulling back.