- Asian markets mostly rose following strong Wall Street gains after US midterm elections
- Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.7% and Topix surged 2.2% while South Korea's Kospi fell 2.5%
- South Korea's current account surplus hit a record $61.46 billion in September 2026
Asian markets were mostly trading higher on Thursday, tracking strong gains on Wall Street after Democrats recorded a sweeping victory over Republicans in the US midterm elections.
When last checked, Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading 0.7% higher, while the Topix surged 2.2%.
South Korea's Kospi bucked the broader trend, sliding over 2.5%. Meanwhile, Australia's ASX 200 and New Zealand's NZX 50 advanced 1.56% and 1.85%, respectively.
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South Korea's Current Account Surplus
South Korea's current account surplus widened sharply to a record high of $61.46 billion in September 2026, compared with $46.11 billion in August.
Australia's Trade Surplus
Australia's trade surplus widened sharply to AUD 2.83 billion in September 2026, from a downwardly revised surplus of AUD 0.18 billion in the previous month. The figure also comfortably beat market expectations of an AUD 0.8 billion deficit.
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This was Australia's largest trade surplus since February, as exports increased while imports declined.
US Stock Futures
US stock futures were little changed on Thursday after major Wall Street indices posted strong gains in the previous session. The Democratic sweep in the US midterm elections triggered a sharp decline in oil prices amid growing hopes of an end to the Middle East conflict.
During Wednesday's regular session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 3.03%, adding 1,569 points to hit a two-month high. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.58% and 1.44%, respectively. Consumer discretionary, financial and real estate stocks led the gains, while energy and industrial shares lagged.
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