05:51 AM EST, 01/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Tech-sector rallies lifted Asian stock markets Monday, with Seoul and Taiwan equity indexes striking fresh record zeniths.

Shanghai and Tokyo also finished in the green, while Hong Kong just inched above even.

The S. Korean KOSPI jumped 3.4%; the Taiwan TWSE inclined 2.6%; the Australian ASX 200 was flat; the Singapore Straits Times Index rose 0.5%, and the Thai Set inclined 1.6%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.3%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and rose to the close, finishing up 3% as traders embraced utilities and AI-related shares. A softer yen undergirded export enterprises.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1,493.32 to 51,832.80, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 185 to 38.

Leading the upside was utility Tokyo Electric Power, up 9.2% after disclosing plans to restart a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear-power plant. Software-tester Shift lost 2.7%.

In economic news, Japan's headline manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) logged at 50 last month, up from 48.7 in November, and striking the neutral level between growth and contraction.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened evenly and tracked sideways, finishing essentially flat as traders awaited clarity on Beijing stimulus plans.

The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 8.77 to 26,347.24, as losing issues outnumbered gainers 49 to 38. The Hang Seng TECH Index advanced 0.1% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 3.1%.

Leading the upside was TikTok rival Kuaishou Technology, gaining 11% on the successful introduction of an AI model. Wharf Real Estate Investment declined 3.6%.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.4% to 4,023.42.

In economic news, China's headline services PMI for December logged at 52, down from 52.1 the previous month, reported S&P Global.

In other news, the ASEAN manufacturing PMI logged at 52.7 last month, down from 53 in November, reported S&P Global.

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