The Asian markets, barring Hang Seng, closed in green on Friday in the final trading day of the week as investors cheered a second day of gains in Chinese and US markets. China’s yuan rose sharply against the dollar with traders citing large transactions by state-owned banks on behalf of the central bank to support the currency. China will increasingly adjust its economic policies in a targeted and timely way. The National Development and Reform Commission stated that it will pay more attention to the challenges faced by the Chinese economy and will work hard to help the country meet its major economic targets for 2015. Japan’s retail sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.6%, from 0.9% in the preceding month while Japanese Household Spending rose to a seasonally adjusted -0.2%, from -2.0% in the preceding month. The percentage of the total work force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment during the previous month fell to a seasonally adjusted 3.3%, from 3.4% in the preceding month. Japan’s National Core CPI fell to a seasonally adjusted 0.0%, from 0.1% in the preceding month. Tokyo’s Core CPI, which excludes fresh food costs remained unchanged at an annualized rate of -0.1%.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,232.35 | 148.76 | 4.82 |
Hang Seng | 21,612.39 | -226.15 | -1.04 |
Jakarta Composite | 4,446.20 | 15.57 | 0.35 |
KLSE Composite | 1,612.74 | 11.04 | 0.69 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,136.32 | 561.88 | 3.03 |
Straits Times | 2,955.94 | 10.51 | 0.36 |
KOSPI Composite | 1,937.67 | 29.67 | 1.56 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8,019.18 | 194.63 | 2.49 |