Asian markets ended mostly higher on Friday, with solid services sector data and hopes of trade talks lifting Chinese and Hong Kong markets sharply higher while Japanese shares succumbed to heavy selling as trading resumed after a long week of holidays. China's commerce ministry said China and the United States would hold vice ministerial level trade talks in Beijing on January 7-8. As per a report, Chinese slowing growth is having an impact on Apple and other American companies, but sales should recover once Washington strikes a trade deal with Beijing. On the data front, growth in China's services sector edged higher in December, a private survey showed, helping ease investor concerns over growth. The Caixin/Markit services PMI rose to a six-month high of 53.9 from 53.8 in November. Elsewhere, the private sector in Hong Kong continued to contract in December, although at a slightly slower rate, the latest PMI from Nikkei showed.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,514.87 | 50.51 | 2.05 |
Hang Seng | 25,626.03 | 561.67 | 2.24 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,274.54 | 53.53 | 0.86 |
KLSE Composite | 1,669.78 | -6.05 | -0.36 |
Nikkei 225 | 19,561.96 | -452.81 | -2.26 |
Straits Times | 3,059.23 | 46.35 | 1.54 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,010.25 | 16.55 | 0.83 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,382.51 | -109.91 | -1.16 |
