Asian markets rise, defense stocks lead after after U.S. captures Venezuela’s Maduro
The skyline of Tokyo city, Japan.
Tomohiro Ohsumi | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets began the first full trading week of 2026 on a stronger note after the U.S. said it had attacked Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. Oil prices edged lower as markets weighed the potential impact of geopolitical tensions.
U.S. authorities said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York following the operation and charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and other crimes. An indictment said drug trafficking had “enriched and entrenched Venezuela’s political and military elite.”
Oil prices fell after the escalation involving the oil-rich nation. Brent crude prices slipped more than 1% earlier before paring losses, and were last trading 0.25% lower, while the West Texas Intermediate crude prices fell 0.4%.
Venezuela, a founding member of OPEC, holds the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, at 303 billion barrels, or about 17% of the global total, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Spot gold prices advanced more than 1% to $4,383.99.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 2.82% in its first trading session of the year, while the Topix index added 1.42% to a record high. Defense stocks were among the top gainers on the index, with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries adding 5.7% and 6.4%, respectively.
South Korea’s Kospi index climbed 2.41% to a record high of 4,420.92, and the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.2%. Shares of defense giant Hanwha Aerospace jumped as much as 4%, while Poongsan traded 3% higher.
Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 added 0.11%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was flat, while the mainland CSI 300 rose 0.68%.
U.S. equity futures were steady in early Asian hours.
On Friday stateside, the first trading day of 2026, the S&P 500 closed slightly higher as gains in semiconductor names kept the index afloat.
The benchmark closed up 0.19% at 6,858.47, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03% to finish at 23,235.63. The two had been solidly positive earlier in the day, with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq trading higher by 0.7% and 1.5% at their peaks, respectively.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 319.10 points, or 0.66%, to settle at 48,382.39.
— CNBC’s Liz Napolitano, Fred Imbert and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
