Nikkei breaches 37,000 with corporate inflation in focus; South Korea, Singapore return to trade

Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose as more markets return to trade from the Lunar New Year holiday, including South Korea and Singapore. Japan’s corporate goods price index rose 0.2% in January, beating expectations. Japan’s Nikkei 225 reached a 34-year high, crossing the 37,000 mark. South Korea’s Kospi was up as it returned to trade. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 started the day down marginally. China and Hong Kong markets were closed. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a new high while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite dipped slightly.