MOST Asian stock markets started the year on the back foot on Thursday, as investors braced for US President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House and the prospect of US interest rates staying higher for longer.
MSCI's index of international emerging markets equities fell as much as 0.9 percent to its lowest level in nearly four months. Taipei shares, which soared 28 percent in 2024 in their biggest annual gain in 15 years, lost 0.9 percent.
