Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Thursday as investors assessed a flurry of regional economic data and digested weaker-than-expected United States employment figures released overnight.
By 11:05 am AEST (1:05 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8%, notching its fourth straight day of gains and trading within reach of record highs.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.3%, while South Korea’s Kospi 200 rose 1.5%.
In Australia, attention turned to trade figures, with the seasonally adjusted goods trade surplus narrowing to A$5.42 billion in April, down from A$6.9 billion the previous month, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The decline was driven by a 2.4% fall in goods exports, led by non-monetary gold, while goods imports rose 1.1%, largely due to capital goods.
South Korea's economy contracted 0.2% in the first quarter, unchanged from the previous estimate. The decline was attributed to domestic political uncertainty and external risks, particularly from the U.S. administration’s aggressive tariff policies.
In Japan, fresh wage data showed signs of strength as annual pay hikes began to take effect. Base salaries rose 2.2% in April from a year earlier, up from March’s 1.4% growth, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare.
Nominal wages rose 2.3%, slightly below consensus expectations of a 2.6% increase. However, real cash earnings declined 1.8%, exceeding the expected 1.6% drop.
Overnight on Wall Street, U.S. markets ended mixed following disappointing jobs data. Private sector payrolls rose by just 37,000 in May, well below expectations of 115,000 - the weakest gain in more than two years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2%, the S&P 500 was flat, and the Nasdaq Composite edged 0.3% higher.
In commodities, Brent crude fell 1.2% to US$64.86 per barrel, while spot gold climbed 0.6% to US$3,381.37 per ounce.
Chinese markets posted modest gains, with the Shanghai Composite up 0.4% at 3,376.2 and the CSI 300 also gaining 0.4% to 3,868.7.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.6% to 23,654.0, while India’s BSE Sensex added 0.3% to reach 80,998.3.
European markets closed higher, as the UK’s FTSE 100 rose 0.2% to 8,801.3, Germany’s DAX advanced 0.8% to 24,276.5, and France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.5% to 7,804.7.
