Asia-Pacific markets traded in a mixed fashion on Friday as investors absorbed a lacklustre session from Wall Street overnight and a fresh round of regional economic data that underlined ongoing growth uncertainties.
By 12 pm AEDT (1 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.3%, and South Korea’s Kospi 200, however, edged 0.5% higher.
Yields on the Japanese 10-year government bond climbed to 1.94%, their highest level since July 2007, adding pressure to the economic outlook ahead of a widely anticipated Bank of Japan rate hike as early as this month
New data from the Bank of Korea showed the country recorded a current account surplus for the 30th consecutive month in October, despite weakening exports. The surplus came in at US$6.81 billion, easing from US$13.47 billion in September.
Japan’s latest figures painted a more troubling picture, with household spending falling 3% year-on-year in October, the sharpest decline since January 2024.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, spending slid 3.5%, compared with forecasts of a 0.7% increase.
Overnight in the United States, trading remained subdued as all three major indices moved only marginally.
The Dow dipped 0.1%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ticked up 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.
In commodities, Brent crude rose 0.9% to settle at US$63.26 per barrel, while spot gold edged 0.1% higher to US$4,208.77 per ounce.
Chinese markets were mixed on Thursday, with the Shanghai Composite slipping 0.1% to 3,875.8. The CSI 300 gained 0.3% to 4,546.6.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.7% to 25,935.9, while India’s BSE Sensex rose 0.2% to 85,265.3.
European markets closed in positive territory, with the FTSE 100 up 0.2% at 9,710.9. Germany’s DAX lifted 0.8% to 23,882.0, and France’s CAC 40 increased 0.4% to 8,122.0.
