Asia-Pacific markets are poised to open lower as the year draws to a close, reflecting a trend seen in global markets. Following losses on Wall Street, Asian stocks have shown mixed results, with Japan's Nikkei index down 0.8% in the last full trading day of 2024. European markets are also expected to open mixed, with the FTSE 100 experiencing declines amid thin trading. This comes after a year characterized by modest gains in Europe, contrasting sharply with the bullish performance on Wall Street, where all three major indexes recorded strong double-digit gains. As the final trading week of the year progresses, many global shares are retreating, indicating a lack of euphoria that had previously driven markets to record highs throughout 2024.