Asian markets are exhibiting mixed trend in the early deals on Friday after bond yields rose overnight and markets digested the second day of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's testimony. Japan's Nikkei share average edged up and remained on track for a robust weekly gain, though investors grew cautious ahead of a long holiday weekend. Among the other Asian markets, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong are higher. Bucking the trend, Shanghai, Indonesia, Taiwan and Malaysia are lower.
Nikkei 225 gained 32.78 points or 0.16% to 20,132.59, Hang Seng increased 18.04 points or 0.07% to 26,364.21, KOSPI Index added 4.82 points or 0.2% to 2,414.31, and Straits Times was up by 18.19 points or 0.56% to 3,253.86.
On the flip side, Jakarta Composite declined 17.97 points or 0.31% to 5,812.08, Shanghai Composite dropped 5.7 points or 0.18% to 3,212.46, Taiwan Weighted slipped 1.83 points or 0.02% to 10,458.32, and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI was down by 0.9 points or 0.05% to 1,752.88.