Most Asia-Pacific stocks advanced on the first trading day of the new year, with South Korea's benchmark index hitting a record high on Friday.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.96% to a new all-time high. Shares of heavyweight Samsung Electronics climbed about 6% following reports that its customers have given positive feedback on its high memory bandwidth and HBM chips. The junior Kosdaq index gained 1.84%. Some Asian markets, including mainland China and Japan, remained closed for holidays.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index increased by 2.43%, led by education services stocks. Artificial intelligence chip designer Shanghai Biren Technology surged over 100% on its first day of trading on the Hang Seng Index, after completing an initial public offering of HK$5.58 billion (approximately US$717 million). The public offering was oversubscribed by more than 2,300 times, even after the full exercise of the over-allotment option; the international offering portion was oversubscribed by 25.95 times.

Singapore's economy grew 5.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, primarily driven by strong manufacturing growth in the three months to December. This latest figure was stronger than the revised 4.3% growth in the previous quarter. On Wednesday, Singaporean Prime Minister Huang Xuncai announced in his New Year's address that the country's full-year 2025 economy achieved a better-than-expected growth of 4.8%. Singapore's Straits Times Index also hit a record high on Friday, rising 0.43%.

India's Nifty 50 index rose 0.41%, while the Sensex index climbed 0.39%. Shares of casual dining operator Sapphire Foods plunged 5.93% before paring some losses, after it was announced that its competitor Devyani would merge with the company in a deal valued at US$934 million. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index edged up 0.15%.

During Asian trading hours, U.S. stock index futures were in positive territory. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.15%, Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.12%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 0.16%.