Asian markets ended mostly in green on Friday, amid signs the US economy is improving and speculation that China will take steps to prevent a cash crunch before initial public offerings next week. The People’s Bank of China has added money to the banking system as a cash shortage stemming from new share sales drove the benchmark money-market rate up by the most since July. Japan’s stocks rose for a fourth day, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved parliament ahead of elections. Abe also scuppered plans for a second increase in the sales tax as he tries to salvage his reform program after data showed Asia’s second-largest economy is in recession. Japanese household investors are putting their money into notes linked to fluctuations in the Indonesia rupiah for the first time as unprecedented Bank of Japan stimulus drags down the yen. Japan’s trade balance rose to a seasonally adjusted -0.98T, from -1.07T in the preceding month.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2486.79 | 34.13 | 1.39 |
Hang Seng | 23437.12 | 87.48 | 0.37 |
Jakarta Composite | 5112.05 | 18.48 | 0.36 |
KLSE Composite | 1809.13 | -13.16 | -0.72 |
Nikkei 225 | 17357.51 | 56.65 | 0.33 |
Straits Times | 3345.32 | 29.72 | 0.90 |
KOSPI Composite | 1964.84 | 6.80 | 0.35 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9091.53 | 12.66 | 0.14 |