The Asian markets concluded Friday’s trade mostly in green, heading for a four-month high, after data showed US manufacturing expanded and as the yen held yesterday’s losses. Japan’s trade deficit narrowed again last month as a sales tax hike weighed on imports - denting demand for foreign fruit, lobsters and crude oil - while shipments of goods to overseas markets picked up pace. The finance ministry data showed the trade deficit shrank 7.8% year on year in April, with Japan logging a shortfall of 808.9 billion yen ($8 billion) against the year-before deficit of 877.4 billion yen. Industrial production in Taiwan rose more-than-expected last month. Taiwanese Industrial Production rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.80%, from 3.05% in the preceding month.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2034.57 | 13.28 | 0.66 |
Hang Seng | 22965.86 | 12.10 | 0.05 |
Jakarta Composite | 4973.06 | 3.18 | 0.06 |
KLSE Composite | 1869.22 | -5.90 | -0.31 |
Nikkei 225 | 14462.17 | 124.38 | 0.87 |
Straits Times | 3278.02 | 12.36 | 0.38 |
KOSPI Composite | 2017.17 | 1.58 | 0.08 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9008.22 | 38.59 | 0.43 |