Asian markets settled mostly higher on Friday tracking Wall Street gains overnight, as signs of slowing inflation in the United States calmed worries over the US Federal Reserve's rate-hike plans. Seoul shares rose as South Korea's central bank hiked its key interest rate by 25 basis points, as widely expected. Chinese shares gained on optimism surrounding China's reopening, while trade data showing exports and imports fell less than expected in December. Hong Kong shares climbed after reports that Chinese government entities are moving to take golden shares in units of Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings. Although, Japanese shares dropped as a surging yen dimmed the outlook for export earnings. Bond yields broke above the Bank of Japan's target on expectations that the BoJ could tweak policy further at a policy meeting next week, also hurt Japan's market sentiment.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 3,195.31 | 31.86 | 1.00 |
Hang Seng | 21,738.66 | 224.56 | 1.03 |
Jakarta Composite | 6,641.83 | 11.90 | 0.18 |
KLSE Composite | 1,495.03 | 6.37 | 0.43 |
Nikkei 225 | 26,119.52 | -330.30 | -1.26 |
Straits Times | 3,293.75 | 25.97 | 0.79 |
KOSPI Composite | 2,386.09 | 20.99 | 0.88 |
Taiwan Weighted | 14,824.13 | 92.49 | 0.62 |
