Asian markets ended higher on Friday as reports of progress in US-China trade talks as well as stronger than expected economic data from the US helped ease global growth worries. Chinese shares ended higher ahead of China's fourth-quarter GDP data, due on Monday. Further, Japanese shares closed higher as the yen weakened on improved risk appetite after reports that the US could lift trade tariffs on China. On economic front, Japan’s overall consumer prices were up 0.3% on year in December, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday, down from 0.8% in November. Core consumer prices - which exclude volatiles prices of food - were up an annual 0.7%. That was down from 0.9% in the previous month. On a monthly basis, overall inflation was down 0.2% and core CPI eased 0.1%.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2,596.01 | 36.37 | 1.42 |
Hang Seng | 27,090.81 | 335.18 | 1.25 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,448.16 | 24.38 | 0.38 |
KLSE Composite | 1,692.22 | 9.25 | 0.55 |
Nikkei 225 | 20,666.07 | 263.80 | 1.29 |
Straits Times | 3,224.34 | 9.90 | 0.31 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,124.28 | 17.22 | 0.82 |
Taiwan Weighted | 9,836.06 | 46.91 | 0.48 |
