Asian markets settle mixed on Friday
Japanese shares gained as investors assessed slightly firmer inflation data ahead of next week’s Bank of Japan policy decision
Asian markets settled mixed on Friday, with Brent crude holding above $106 per barrel amid persistent US-Iran tensions over the control of the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling worries about inflation, interest rates and economic growth. Japanese shares gained as investors assessed slightly firmer inflation data ahead of next week’s Bank of Japan (BoJ) policy decision. Japan’s core inflation accelerated for the first time in five months, driven by higher energy costs, though it remained below the BoJ’s 2% target. Hong Kong shares rose driven by intense bargain hunting in technology and artificial intelligence-linked semiconductor stocks following DeepSeek's new AI model release. While Indonesian shares fell following the negative cues from Wall Street overnight.
| Asian Indices | Last Trade | Change in Points | Change in % |
| Shanghai Composite | 4,079.90 | -13.35 | -0.33 |
| Hang Seng | 25,978.07 | 62.87 | 0.24 |
| Jakarta Composite | 7,129.49 | -249.12 | -3.49 |
| KLSE Composite | 1,720.34 | -1.36 | -0.08 |
| Nikkei 225 | 59,716.18 | 575.95 | 0.97 |
| Straits Times | 4,922.86 | -21.25 | -0.43 |
| KOSPI Composite | 6,475.63 | -0.18 | 0.00 |
| Taiwan Weighted | 38,932.40 | 1,218.25 | 3.23 |
