Asian Stocks Climb Amid Fed Comments and AI Investment

Asian stock markets experienced a rise on Monday, as last week's significant spending on artificial intelligence by major companies influenced investor sentiment. The dollar continued to hover near its three-month high following assertive comments from Federal Reserve policymakers, causing mixed reactions across global financial markets.

Despite a prolonged U.S. government shutdown affecting forthcoming economic data releases, investors remained focused on last week's agreements, including the central bank meetings and a temporary U.S.-China trade truce. However, doubts persist regarding the truce's longevity, as the MSCI's index for Asia-Pacific shares, excluding Japan, edged 0.2% higher.

OPEC+'s decision not to increase production in early 2024 has impacted oil prices positively, while gold prices fell from recent highs. Meanwhile, with Japan's markets closed for a holiday, trading volume remained subdued, and investors awaited key AI earnings reports expected this week.