Asian markets end mostly higher on Friday

Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Friday after Wall Street shares surged to record highs overnight, oil prices climbed and the yen weakened against the dollar in the wake of a rise in US bond yields amid hawkish interest-rate comments from a senior Federal Reserve official. Investors shrugged off disappointing Chinese data that showed industrial production grew 6 percent in July from a year earlier, a tad below expectations for 6.1 percent growth and slower than the 6.2 percent increase in June. Meanwhile property investment growth continued to slow, retail sales grew less than expected, and growth in fixed-asset investment slipped to its lowest level in more than 16 years. Chinese shares ended sharply higher, led by financial and property shares as disappointing economic data raised the prospect of more government stimulus. Japanese shares rose sharply to hit their highest levels in over two months as traders returned to their desks after a national holiday on Thursday.