Asian stocks mixed after Wall St ends 2021 with big gain

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are on 2022′s first trading day after Wall Street ended last year with a double-digit gain. Hong Kong retreated while Seoul gained. Markets in Japan, China and Australia were closed. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index slipped Friday amid lingering worries about the coronavirus’s omicron variant but ended 2021 with an annual gain of 26.9%. Singapore’s government announced its economy grew by 7.2% last year, rebounding from the previous year’s 5.4% contraction. Oil prices rose and U.S. futures also were higher.