Asian equity markets ended mostly in red on Friday after the European Central Bank dropped no hints at tapering in September and media reports suggested that US special counsel Robert Mueller is expanding the Russia probe to include President Donald Trump's business dealings. Japan's Nikkei share average edged down as investors took profits on steelmakers, offsetting gains in Yaskawa Electric and other machinery makers. Meanwhile, China's stocks fell on Friday but ended the week higher, with demand for blue chips gaining momentum amid a slump in small-cap stocks, as investors sought firms with solid growth prospects and lower valuations. Hong Kong stocks snapped a nine-day winning streak as investors took a breather after the benchmark index scaled a fresh two-year peak in the previous session. Though, Seoul stocks ended up at fresh record highs as foreign investors scooped up financial shares on expectations of solid second-quarter earnings results.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,237.98 | -6.88 | -0.21 |
Hang Seng | 26,706.09 | -34.12 | - 0.13 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,765.42 | -59.78 | -1.03 |
KLSE Composite | 1,759.16 | 3.53 | 0.2 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,099.75 | -44.84 | -0.22 |
Straits Times | 3,314.12 | 20.99 | 0.64 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,450.06 | 8.22 | 0.34 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,436.70 | -62.66 | -0.6 |