Japan's Nikkei surges 2% on open while other Asian markets slide; China trade data on tap

Asia-Pacific markets experienced mixed performance on Friday, with Japan continuing its record-breaking rally. The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes reached their highest levels since 1990. However, other markets, such as Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, South Korea’s Kospi, and China’s CSI 300, saw slight declines. In the US, the three major indexes ended Thursday relatively flat despite higher-than-expected inflation for December. Meanwhile, oil prices rose after military strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen by the UK and the US.