Asian markets settled lower on Friday driven by rising US Treasury yields, while resilient US macroeconomic data and persistent inflationary pressures prompted traders to bet that the Federal Reserve will keep rates higher for longer and may even hike again. Additionally, rising crude oil prices dented market sentiment with escalating tensions near the Strait of Hormuz, where one ship was attacked and another seized, stoked concerns about global energy supplies. South Korea’s KOSPI marked a massive reversal, after briefly surging past the historic 8,000-point milestone for the first time, amid rising expectation that Bank of Korea may hike interest rates at its next meeting scheduled for May 28, 2026. Chinese and Hong Kong shares tumbled after a closely watched summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended without major economic breakthroughs. Meanwhile, Indonesian markets were closed for Ascension Day.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 4,135.39 | -42.53 | -1.02 |
| Hang Seng | 25,962.73 | -426.31 | -1.62 |
| Jakarta Composite | -- | -- | -- |
| KLSE Composite | 1,740.22 | -5.36 | -0.31 |
| Nikkei 225 | 61,409.29 | -1,244.76 | -1.99 |
| Straits Times | 4,989.08 | -6.86 | -0.14 |
| KOSPI Composite | 7,493.18 | -488.23 | -6.12 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 41,172.36 | -579.39 | -1.39 |
