In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index experienced a slight downturn, slipping 0.44% to close at 50,526.92. Conversely, the Topix index saw a modest increase, edging up by 0.1% to finish at 3,426.52. Over in South Korea, the markets had a more robust performance; the Kospi index surged by 2.2% to settle at 4,220.56, while the Kosdaq index rose by 1.4%, closing at 932.59.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index climbed by 0.7%, reflecting a positive trading session. However, on the mainland, the CSI 300 index faced a minor decline, dipping 0.38% to 4,639.37.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index saw a decrease of 0.42%, wrapping up the trading day at 8,725.7.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.42% lower, closing at 8,725.7.

Prices of spot silver rose to a fresh record high of above $80 per ounce earlier in the day before pulling back sharply over 5% to $74.93 per ounce.

Silver’s recent surge was driven by speculative buying and lingering supply tightness, said experts. Sprott Asset Management said silver’s rally this year reflects a depletion of freely traded inventory, amplifying price moves as demand increases.

“Silver continues to price in the more favorable 2026 macro-outlook, with lower interest rates and the potential for a weaker U.S. dollar boosting the appeal for hard assets,” said Trevor Yates, senior investment analyst at Global X ETFs.

U.S. equity futures were flat in early Asian hours. On Friday stateside, the S&P 500 reached a new high and posted weekly gains as traders came back from the Christmas holiday.

The broad market index closed down 0.03% to end at 6,929.94. At its high, the S&P 500 was up 0.2%, reaching 6,945.77. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.09% and closed at 23,593.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.19 points, or 0.04%, and settled at 48,710.97.

For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.4%, notching its fourth weekly advance in five weeks. The Dow and Nasdaq were also up more than 1% week to date.

— CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Fred Imbert contributed to this report.