Asia-Pacific markets saw mixed performance as investors assessed the prospects of electric vehicle companies, particularly Xiaomi's entry into China's EV market. Hong Kong's Hang Seng futures stood at 17,222, pointing to a higher open compared with the year's close. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.16% at open, but gained 28.5% so far in 2023, making it Asia's top-performing market. South Korea's Kospi rose 1.60% at open, while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.79%. The S&P 500 finished marginally higher, closing in on a new all-time high in the penultimate trading day of 2023.

Asia Markets React to EV Prospects