Defense-Linked Shares Lift Asia-Pacific Markets After U.S. Seizes Venezuela’s Maduro

Asia-Pacific equities opened 2026 on a strong footing as investors reacted to news that U.S. forces had entered Venezuela and taken President Nicolás Maduro into custody over the weekend. The operation, confirmed by U.S. authorities, pushed defense-related stocks sharply higher across the region, while oil prices eased despite the confrontation involving one of the world’s largest crude holders.

Washington said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York and charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and additional offenses. An accompanying indictment alleged that drug trafficking had supported Venezuela’s political and military elite. The announcement came as markets prepared for the first full trading week of the new year, setting the tone for Monday’s session.

Oil and gold move in opposite directions

Crude benchmarks drifted lower as traders weighed the possibility of disrupted Venezuelan supply against broader concerns about global demand. Brent futures slipped more than 1% early in the day before trimming losses to settle 0.3% down at $60.57 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate declined 0.4% to $57.09.

Venezuela, a founding member of OPEC, holds about 303 billion barrels of proven reserves, representing roughly 17% of worldwide supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Despite the country’s vast resources, its export capacity has been constrained for years by sanctions and underinvestment.

In contrast, spot gold climbed more than 2% to $4,427.09 as some investors shifted toward perceived safe-haven assets.

Nikkei surges to fresh record

Japan’s Nikkei 225 led regional advances, jumping 2.97% to close at 51,832.8 in the first trading session of 2026. The broader Topix Index added 2.01% to 3,477.52 after touching an all-time high. Defense contractors dominated the gains: IHI Corp rallied 8.99%, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rose 8.39% and Kawasaki Heavy Industries advanced 7.9%.

South Korea’s Kospi posted a new record close, rising 3.43% to 4,457.52 after setting intraday highs twice during the session. The tech-focused Kosdaq climbed 1.26% to 957.5. Samsung Electronics gained more than 7% after co-CEO TM Roh told Reuters the company would double the number of mobile devices featuring Google’s Gemini artificial-intelligence tools this year. Defense names also outperformed, with Hanwha Aerospace up nearly 7% and ammunition maker Poongsan higher by 2.25%.

Imagem: imagem internet 42

Mixed performance elsewhere in the region

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 finished little changed at 8,728.6, as strength in industrials offset weakness in energy shares. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inched 0.03% higher to 26,347.24. Energy producers were the biggest drag: PetroChina fell 3.52% and offshore specialist CNOOC dropped 3.29%. On the mainland, the CSI 300 advanced 1.9% to 4,717.75.

Indian equities slipped. The NSE Nifty 50 dipped 0.17%, and the BSE Sensex declined 0.21% amid cautious trading ahead of domestic earnings reports.

U.S. market signals

U.S. equity futures were broadly steady during Asian hours. On Friday, the first trading day of the year in New York, the S&P 500 edged up 0.19% to 6,858.47, supported by semiconductor shares. The Nasdaq Composite eased 0.03% to 23,235.63 after earlier gains, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.66% to 48,382.39.

Outlook

Investors will monitor further details of the U.S. operation in Venezuela and any response from OPEC or other major producers. Attention will also remain on defense spending trends and supply-chain implications for technology manufacturers that have incorporated artificial intelligence features into new devices.

Crédito da imagem: Tomohiro Ohsumi | Bloomberg | Getty Images