Asian markets finished mixed on Friday, supported by Wall Street’s overnight rise with renewed hopes for more economic stimulus measures in the United States and after data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits inched down last week. Chinese shares ended higher as trading resumed after the Golden Week holidays. Further, signs of recovery in China's services sector too supported market sentiment. China's service sector registered a strong growth in business activity in September, signaling a further recovery from the corona virus pandemic, survey data from IHS Markit showed. The Caixin composite services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 54.8 in September from 54.0 in August, marking the fifth consecutive increase in service sector output. Though, Japanese shares ended marginally lower after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected moving forward a standalone bill aimed at providing new aid to US airlines in the absence of a bigger COVID-19 relief package. Meanwhile, markets in South Korea and Taiwan were closed for holidays.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,272.08 | 54.03 | 1.68 |
Hang Seng | 24,119.13 | -74.22 | -0.31 |
Jakarta Composite | 5,053.66 | 14.52 | 0.29 |
KLSE Composite | 1,530.35 | 10.92 | 0.72 |
Nikkei 225 | 23,619.69 | -27.38 | -0.12 |
Straits Times | 2,532.96 | -10.15 | -0.40 |
KOSPI Composite | - | - | - |
Taiwan Weighted | - | - | - |
