Asian equity markets ended mostly in red on Friday as investors fretted about rising trade tensions between the US and China as well as the new set of US sanctions on Russia. A diplomatic rift between the US and Turkey also kept underlying sentiments cautious. Japanese shares fell sharply to hit one-month low, with a firmer yen and heavy selling in the technology sector weighing on markets. The yen rose against the dollar as trade worries persisted and data showed the country's economy grew more than expected in the second quarter, driven by higher consumer spending and business investment. Though, Japan's GDP expanded a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent sequentially in the second quarter of 2018, the Cabinet Office said in a preliminary reading. That exceeded expectations for an increase of 0.3 percent following the 0.2 percent loss in the three months prior. However, Chinese ended higher with technology companies leading after China revamped a national leadership group charged with planning and studying its key technological development strategies.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,795.44 | 1.06 | 0.04 |
Hang Seng | 28,366.62 | -240.68 | -0.85 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,077.17 | 11.91 | 0.20 |
KLSE Composite | 1,805.75 | 0.80 | 0.04 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,298.08 | -300.31 | -1.35 |
Straits Times | 3,284.78 | -41.96 | -1.28 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,282.79 | -20.92 | -0.92 |
Taiwan Weighted | 10,983.68 | -44.39 | -0.40 |
