As the Christmas week begins, Asia-Pacific markets show positive trends, driven by investors anticipating a merger announcement between Honda and Nissan. The automakers aim for a final agreement by June 2025, potentially creating a new holding company by summer 2026. Both companies’ shares rose, with Honda up 3.82% and Nissan by 1.58%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 achieved a 1.19% gain, while broader Asian markets followed suit, buoyed by favorable U.S. inflation data. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all posted gains as November’s personal consumption expenditures index indicated inflation slightly below expectations.
