Asian markets ended mostly lower on Friday on concerns that aggressive monetary tightening by major central banks could lead to a slowdown in global growth and even recession. Market sentiments weakened further by tracking a broad sell-off in US stocks overnight following disappointing US housing, regional manufacturing activity and labor market data. Japanese shares declined as the country's central bank BoJ wrapped up its monetary policy meeting with no major changes to its ultra-low interest rates. However, mainland Chinese and Hong Kong shares rallied after China's cabinet pledged more policy steps to help the world's second-largest economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,316.79 | 31.41 | 0.96 |
Hang Seng | 21,075.00 | 229.57 | 1.10 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,936.97 | -113.36 | -1.61 |
KLSE Composite | 1,456.74 | -16.03 | -1.09 |
Nikkei 225 | 25,963.00 | -468.20 | -1.77 |
Straits Times | 3,098.09 | 0.66 | 0.02 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,440.93 | -10.48 | -0.43 |
Taiwan Weighted | 15,641.26 | -197.35 | -1.25 |
