Asia-Pacific equity markets rose on Friday following news that China is considering new trade negotiations with the United States, boosting sentiment across the region.
As of 11:25 am AEST (1:25 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5%, South Korea’s Kospi 200 edged up 0.1%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 1.1%.
Investors are also monitoring data releases from the region. In South Korea, inflation remained steady at 2.1% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Japan’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.5% from 2.4% in the previous month.
In Australia, retail sales also ticked higher, rising 0.3% in April following a 0.2% gain in March.
Global sentiment was buoyed by overnight gains on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%, the S&P 500 gained 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.5% on optimism surrounding AI-led growth amid broader economic concerns.
In commodity markets, Brent crude rose 1.5% to US$62.13 per barrel, while spot gold fell 1.5% to US$3,238.30 per ounce, suggesting a shift in investor preference toward riskier assets.
Markets in China, Hong Kong, and India were closed for public holidays, alongside European bourses, leading to lighter-than-usual trading volumes across major markets.
