Asian equity markets ended mostly in red on Friday, as investors fretted over the potential outcome of next week's US presidential election and waited for cues from the US government's October jobs report due out tonight. The non-farm payrolls report is expected to show continued job growth and lower unemployment, bolstering the Fed's case to raise short-term interest rates next month. Investors ignored a private report, which showed that activity in Japan's services sector expanded for the first time in three months in October. Japanese shares tumbled on a firmer yen as polls showed an extremely tight race in the US presidential election. Chinese shares inched down but notched up its fourth straight week of gains as on some signs showing stability in world's second-largest economy.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,125.32 | -3.62 | -0.12 |
Hang Seng | 22,642.62 | -40.89 | -0.18 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,362.66 | 33.16 | 0.62 |
KLSE Composite | 1,648.24 | 0.16 | 0.01 |
Nikkei 225 | 16,905.36 | -229.32 | -1.34 |
Straits Times | 2,788.80 | -13.28 | -0.47 |
KOSPI Composite | 1,982.02 | -1.78 | -0.09 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,068.15 | 0.88 | 0.01 |