All the Asian markets barring Nikkei 225 and Straits Times, concluded Friday’s trade in green making a strong finish to the week, as they took their lead from Wall Street, which shrugged off lackluster economic data. The global markets have rallied this week, after a tumultuous period caused by the US Federal Reserve’s decision to reduce its stimulus program for a second time in two months. Indonesia’s shrinking current-account deficit has turned the rupiah into the world’s best-performing emerging-market currency this year, after it weakened in 2013 by more than any other peer apart from Argentina’s peso.
China’s consumer inflation rate held steady in January, coming in slightly higher than forecasts. The consumer price index jumped 2.5% from a year earlier or 1% on a monthly basis, as beef, pork and vegetable prices all increased. The year-on-year result was identical to that in December, but the month-on-month gain was higher than a 0.3% climb in the previous month. Chinese PPI fell to an annual rate of -1.6%, from -1.4% in the preceding month. Singaporean Retail Sales rose to a seasonally adjusted -5.5%, from -8.6% in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from -8.7%.
Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
Shanghai Composite | 2115.85 | 17.45 | 0.83 |
Hang Seng | 22298.41 | 132.88 | 0.60 |
Jakarta Composite | 4508.04 | 16.38 | 0.36 |
KLSE Composite | 1819.37 | 2.22 | 0.12 |
Nikkei 225 | 14313.03 | -221.71 | -1.53 |
Straits Times | 3038.71 | -1.19 | -0.04 |
KOSPI Composite | 1940.28 | 13.32 | 0.69 |
Taiwan Weighted | 8513.68 | 45.98 | 0.54 |