Asian markets sluggish as Lunar New Year holiday looms

The holiday period meant that trading floors were closed in mainland China, Seoul and Taipei. Hong Kong and Singapore have half-day trading on Monday. US stock markets will also remain closed for Presidents' Day. Limp gross domestic growth (GDP) in Japan rattled the post-election high of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following her recent landslide win. The world's fourth-biggest economy expanded just 0.1 percent in the last three months of 2025. The figures -- which undershoot market forecasts of 0.4 percent -- add pressure on Takaichi...