Asian markets end mostly higher on Friday

04 Jan 2019 Evaluate

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

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