All the Asian markets are trading lower in the early deals on Friday, as investors awaited the Group of Seven leaders' meeting, continuing into the weekend, and for European Central Bank and Federal Reserve meetings next week. The Japanese market is modestly lower in choppy trade following the mixed cues from Wall Street and on a stronger yen, as investors focused on the upcoming G-7 summit starting in Canada later today. Weak Japanese economic data also weighed on the markets. Meanwhile, China and Hong Kong stocks fell as investors are worried about the impact from the listings of big-cap ‘unicorns’, and amid uncertainty over trade relations.
Nikkei 225 dropped 96.02 points or 0.42% to 22,727.24, Hang Seng dipped 386.23 points or 1.23% to 31,126.40, Taiwan Weighted slipped 89.47 points or 0.8% to 11,162.28, Jakarta Composite contracted 48.6 points or 0.8% to 6,058.10, Shanghai Composite declined 39.02 points or 1.25% to 3,070.48, KOSPI Index tumbled 14.92 points or 0.6% to 2,455.66, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI decreased 11.32 points or 0.63% to 1,774.49, and Straits Times down by 19.47 points or 0.56% to 3,453.61.
