Asian shares are mixed after US stocks drift to more records

Asian shares are mixed in thin holiday trading, with most markets in the region and elsewhere closed for Christmas. Chinese benchmarks rose while shares were nearly unchanged in Tokyo. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks drifted to more records in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.2%. The S&P 500 is up more than 17% this year, driven by optimism about artificial intelligence and deregulatory policies. Investors' focus is on the U.S. economy's direction and Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Unemployment claims fell last week, indicating a still-healthy labor market.