Asian markets ended mixed on Friday as investors looked ahead to the release of US Labor Department's closely watched monthly jobs report for April due later in the day for clues on the strength of the world's largest economy. US employment is expected to increase by 185,000 jobs in April following the addition of 196,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate is expected to hold at 3.8 percent. Crude Oil extending a steep fall from the previous session on surging US output and an expected supply increase from producer club OPEC and putting crude on track for weekly declines. Meanwhile, Hong Kong shares ended higher as the US and China ended their latest round of trade negotiations in Beijing after ‘productive meetings’. Markets in China and Japan were closed for holidays.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | - | - | - |
Hang Seng | 30,081.55 | 137.37 | 0.46 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,319.46 | -54.96 | -0.86 |
KLSE Composite | 1,637.30 | 5.06 | 0.31 |
Nikkei 225 | - | - | - |
Straits Times | 3,392.29 | -1.04 | -0.03 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,196.32 | -16.43 | -0.74 |
Taiwan Weighted | 11,096.30 | 91.81 | 0.83 |
