Asian equity markets made a mixed closing on Friday, after weak earnings from Macy's sent shares of American retailers plunging overnight and stoked worries about weak consumer spending in the US. Heightened political uncertainty in Washington triggered by President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of FBI chief James Comey and the improving odds of a June rate hike also kept underlying sentiment cautious. Japanese shares eased from 17-month highs as the yen rose against the dollar ahead of the G7 summit in Italy due this weekend and investors digested a slew of corporate earnings. Meanwhile, Chinese shares ended higher after China's central bank injected fresh funds through a medium-term lending facility to keep liquidity stable.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,083.51 | 22.01 | 0.72 |
Hang Seng | 25,156.34 | 30.79 | 0.12 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,675.22 | 22.21 | 0.39 |
KLSE Composite | 1,775.87 | 0.48 | 0.03 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,883.90 | -77.65 | -0.39 |
Straits Times | 3,255.29 | -15.82 | -0.48 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,286.02 | -10.35 | -0.45 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,986.82 | -14.66 | -0.15 |