Asian markets ended lower on Friday after the Federal Reserve reiterated its hawkish stance and the populist government in Rome flatly dismissed the EU's more pessimistic outlook for the Italian economy, deepening a rift with the European Union. Chinese shares ended lower as policymakers struggle to dispel stock market gloom with promises of tax cuts and more bank lending. Consumer prices in China rose 2.5 percent year-on-year in October, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report. That was in line with expectations and unchanged from the September reading. The bureau also said that producer prices climbed an annual 3.3 percent - matching forecasts and slowing from 3.6 percent in the previous month. Japanese shares ended lower as dismal inflation data from China as well as lingering concerns of slowing growth pulled down shares of companies that have large exposure to China.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,598.87 | -36.76 | -1.41 |
Hang Seng | 25,601.92 | -625.80 | -2.44 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,874.15 | -102.66 | -1.75 |
KLSE Composite | 1,708.09 | -13.33 | -0.77 |
Nikkei 225 | 22,250.25 | -236.67 | -1.06 |
Straits Times | 3,077.97 | -15.27 | -0.50 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,086.09 | -6.54 | -0.31 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,830.01 | -115.30 | -1.17 |
