Asian markets settled mostly higher on Friday tracking Wall Street gains overnight amid signs that the US is making progress on trade negotiations and that the Fed might cut interest rates earlier than expected if labor and growth data weaken notably. Japanese shares gained as the government unveiled emergency economic measures to counter the impact of US tariffs, ahead of a second round of bilateral trade talks with the US to be held next week. Meanwhile, the Japanese yen declined after Tokyo’s Core Inflation Jumped to 3.4% in April, the highest in two years. However, Chinese shares declined as China denied the existence of negotiations on a deal with the US and demanded that the US revoke all unilateral tariffs.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,295.06 | -2.23 | -0.07 |
| Hang Seng | 21,980.74 | 70.98 | 0.32 |
| Jakarta Composite | 6,678.92 | 65.44 | 0.98 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,509.20 | 2.68 | 0.18 |
| Nikkei 225 | 35,705.74 | 666.59 | 1.87 |
| Straits Times | 3,823.78 | -8.14 | -0.21 |
| KOSPI Composite | 2,546.30 | 23.97 | 0.94 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 19,872.73 | 393.92 | 1.98 |
