Asian equity benchmarks are trading lower in the early deals on Friday’s trading as investors shied away from risky assets before the release of Chinese economic data and a Fed policy meeting, and as fears loomed that Britain could vote to leave the European Union. Meanwhile, the Japanese stock market is lower tracking the weak cues overnight from Wall Street and lower oil prices. Among the other Asian markets, the markets in China and Taiwan remain closed for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Nikkei 225 dropped 123.10 points or 0.74% to 16,545.31, Hang Seng dipped 144.89 points or 0.68% to 21,152.99, Jakarta Composite declined 13.20 points or 0.27% to 4,863.60, KOSPI Index slipped 8.92 points or 0.44% to 2,015.25, Straits Times decreased 19.60 points or 0.69% to 2,824.20, and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI was down by 5.13 points or 0.31% to 1,645.38.