Asian markets ended mixed on Friday. Seoul shares gained after the release of encouraging industrial output and retail sales data. Japanese shares recovered from a 14-week low, with transport, real estate and paper & pulp stocks outperforming, but still registered its biggest weekly drop in two months. Positive fourth-quarter US GDP data and Apple Inc's impressive earnings supported markets to some extent. Meanwhile, Chinese shares declined to close at a 16-month low even after state-backed newspapers and fund houses trying to calm investor nerves following a sharp sell-off on worries over faster US monetary policy tightening. Mainland Chinese markets would be shut for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, starting January 31.
Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,361.44 | -32.81 | -0.97 |
Hang Seng | 23,550.08 | -256.92 | -1.08 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,645.51 | 34.35 | 0.52 |
KLSE Composite | 1,520.02 | 4.03 | 0.27 |
Nikkei 225 | 26,717.34 | 547.04 | 2.09 |
Straits Times | 3,246.33 | -13.70 | -0.42 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,663.34 | 48.85 | 1.87 |
Taiwan Weighted | -- | -- | -- |
