Asian markets trade mostly lower in early deals on Friday

19 Jul 2024 Evaluate
Most of the Asian markets traded lower in early deals on Friday, with the sharp sell-off in chip and other technological sector stocks with its global counter partners. Jitters over potential US restrictions on chip equipment exports to China and suggestions of Taiwan being asked to pay the US for defence dulled investor sentiments. Investors also side-lined ahead to details on policy directions for the next five years from the upcoming Third Plenum Press Conference. Bets that the Chinese central bank might hold the July fixing on key lending rates next week after leaving them at record lows in June also saddled investments. Japan’s Nikkei retreated with the negative Wall Street overnight. Meanwhile, Japanese inflation rate remained unchanged at 2.8% in June, as the core inflation rate rose to 2.6% from 2.5%, leaving room for BoJ to consider interest rate hiking.

Nikkei 225 down by 95.80 points 0.24% to 40,030.55, Straits Times narrowed by 27.97 points 0.81% to 3,443.19, Hang Seng curtailed by 376.55 points 2.16% to 17,401.86, Jakarta Composite diminished by 50.28 points or 0.69% to 7,270.79, Taiwan Weighted slipped by 421.49 points or 1.80% to 22,976.98, KOSPI Index decreased by 39.67 points or 1.40% to 2,784.68,and Shanghai Composite slipped by 2.51 points or 0.08% to 2,974.62.

On the flip side, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI up by 3.39 points or 0.21% to 1,637.20

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