Asian equity markets ended mostly in red on Friday, tracking weak overnight cues from Europe and the US after data showed weaker-than-expected US private sector job growth in June and global sovereign debt yields rose across the board amid bets the European Central Bank will gradually remove policy accommodation in the near future. Simmering tensions in the Korean peninsula and caution ahead of this week's G20 summit as well as the all-important US jobs report, which includes both private and public sector jobs, due out later in the day also weighed on markets. Japanese shares ended lower after global shares tumbled, despite the yen weakening after the Bank of Japan's decision to raise its purchases of government bonds in its market operations. The dollar hit a seven-week high against the yen as the central bank pledged to buy unlimited amounts of government debt with a 10-year maturity at a yield of 0.11 percent. However, Chinese shares ended higher despite concerns over slowing economic growth and expectations of higher interest rates globally.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,217.96 | 5.51 | 0.17 |
Hang Seng | 25,340.85 | -124.37 | -0.49 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,814.79 | -34.78 | -0.59 |
KLSE Composite | 1,759.93 | -10.60 | -0.60 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,929.09 | -64.97 | -0.32 |
Straits Times | 3,229.01 | 2.67 | 0.08 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,379.87 | -7.94 | -0.33 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,297.25 | -70.95 | -0.68 |