Asian equity markets ended mixed on Friday in response to dovish ECB statement and BOJ's weaker view on inflation outlook. Trade concerns persisted ahead of likely announcement of US tariffs on Chinese goods. Hong Kong stocks fell and posted their biggest weekly drop in two-and-a-half months as Washington looked set to unveil a tariff list targeting $50 billion Chinese goods, and Beijing vowed to retaliate, putting investors on edge. Chinese shares hit a 20-month low on worries that rising trade tensions could add pressure to the country's economic growth. Meanwhile, Seoul stocks closed lower amid selling by foreign investors on worries about renewed trade frictions between the US and China. Though, Japanese equities rose amid a weaker yen as the Bank of Japan downgraded its assessment of inflation. The markets in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are remained closed in observance of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | -3,021.90 | -22.26 | -0.73 |
Hang Seng | -30,309.49 | -130.68 | -0.43 |
Jakarta Composite | - | - | - |
KLSE Composite | - | - | - |
Nikkei 225 | 22,851.75 | 113.14 | 0.5 |
Straits Times | - | - | - |
KOSPI Composite | -2,404.04 | -19.44 | -0.8 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,087.47 | 73.49 | 0.67 |
