Asian markets trade mostly higher in early deals on Friday

26 Apr 2024 Evaluate
Most of the Asian markets traded higher in early deals on Friday, buoyed by the bargain hunting after recent sell offs.  Hang Seng soared the most among Asian indices and is in track of an over 8% jump weekly, which could mark the sharpest gain since late October of 2022. Optimism that China will deliver more expansionary policies to spur robust recovery this year supported investor sentiments. Moreover, some major investment banks, Goldman Sachs and UBS, have raised its ratings on China and Hong Kong's equities citing potential reforms, strong earnings, and fiscal support. Japan’s Nikkei also advanced after the Bank of Japan holds its policy rate unchanged on Friday after its monetary policy meeting, holding its benchmark policy rate at 0%-0.1%. Participants also braced that Tokyo’s core inflation rate slowed to a 2-year low of 1.6% in April. 

Nikkei 225 up by 307.03 points 0.82% to 37,935.51, Taiwan Weighted rose by 316.50 points or 1.59% to 20,173.92, KOSPI Index lifted by 28.79 points or 1.08% to 2,657.41, Hang Seng widened by 343.19 points 1.95% to 17,627.73, Shanghai Composite buoyed by 24.02 points or 0.78% to 3,076.92 and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI enlarged 4.55 points or 0.29% to 1,573.80.

On the flip side, Straits Times slipped by 1.13 points 0.03% to 3,286.62, and Jakarta Composite down by 35.30 points or 0.49% to 7,119.99.

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