Asian markets traded mostly higher in early deals on Friday, as the optimism surrounding upcoming US-China trade talks and the US President Donald Trump's announcement of a trade agreement framework with the UK, eased concerns over ongoing trade war. Japan’s Nikkei marked its longest winning streak since October 2017, hitting six-week highs, driven by hopes of a trade agreement with the US in June. Investor sentiment also buoyed by data showing a stronger-than-expected rise in personal spending in March, signalling resilience in consumer demand.
Nikkei 225 up by 568.00 points or 1.54% to 37,496.63, Straits Times buoyed by 22.84 points 0.59% to 3,871.06, Hang Seng rose by 1.90 points 0.01% to 22,777.82, KOSPI Index increased by 0.26 points or 0.01% to 2,579.74, Taiwan Weighted added by 331.39 points or 1.61% to 20,874.79, Jakarta Composite lifted by 17.22 points or 0.25% to 6,844.97 and FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI climbed by 2.10 points or 0.14% to 1,544.84.
On the flip side, Shanghai Composite down by 8.62 points or 0.26% to 3,343.38.
