Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday, as investors digested upbeat United States economic data and corporate earnings.
As of 11 am AEST, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6%, extending gains from earlier in the week and building on its record highs set Wednesday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi 200 hovered near flat, showing little movement despite Wall Street’s overnight rally.
Sentiment in Japan was tempered by fresh inflation data showing core consumer prices, which exclude fresh food, rose 3.3% in June, cooling from 3.7% in May and matching market expectations.
However, Japan’s core-core inflation - which strips out fresh food and energy and is closely watched by the Bank of Japan - ticked up to 3.4% from 3.3%.
In the U.S., all three major indices closed higher on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both closed at fresh records, gaining 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.
Among commodities, Brent crude added 1.5% to US$69.52 per barrel, while spot gold eased 0.3% to US$3,339.09 per ounce.
In China, equities were mixed. The Shanghai Composite advanced 0.4% to 3,516.8, and the CSI 300 gained 0.7% to 4,034.5.
However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dipped 0.1% to 24,499.0, while India’s BSE Sensex fell 0.5% to 82,259.2.
European markets closed higher overnight. London’s FTSE 100 added 0.5% to 8,972.6, Germany’s DAX climbed 1.5% to 24,370.9, and France’s CAC 40 rose 1.3% to 7,822.0.
