Markets show mixed reaction after US capture of Venezuelan leader

Asian benchmarks rose and oil edged higher, while gold and silver jumped, as markets absorbed reports of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Markets registered a mixed response after reports that U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a weekend raid. Oil prices ticked up and precious metals climbed as investors assessed the geopolitical news. Major Asian stock indexes opened higher, with some setting fresh records. U.S. futures and Wall Street showed smaller and more mixed moves. Key market moves: - Oil: U.S. benchmark crude was reported up about $0.12 to $57.44 per barrel, and Brent was up about $0.14 to $60.89 per barrel. - Precious metals: Gold rose about 2%, silver jumped about 6%, and platinum was reported up about 6%. - Asian equities: Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was reported up 2.9% to 51,777.99, and South Korea's Kospi rose about 2.3% to 4,406.55; Australia's S&P/ASX 200 and Taiwan's benchmark also moved higher. - U.S. markets and notable companies: U.S. futures were mixed. The article reports the S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Dow rose 0.7%, and the Nasdaq fell slightly; it also mentions losses for Microsoft and Tesla in recent trading. - Venezuelan oil context: The article reports Venezuela's oil industry has suffered years of neglect and sanctions, producing about 1.1 million barrels a day now, and that some analysts say output could double or triple only with major investment and time. Summary: Market prices reacted across asset classes, with energy and safe-haven metals moving higher and Asian equity benchmarks notably stronger. This week brings several economic updates — private services data, consumer sentiment reports and government job numbers — ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting at the end of January, which market participants will watch for further guidance. Undetermined at this time