Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.48%, Shanghai Composite up 0.01%, Hang Seng up 0.71% ASX up 0.20%
- Commodities : Gold at $3318.35 (0.39%), Silver at $33.38 (0.19%), Brent Oil at $64.8 (-0.29%), WTI Oil at $60.6 (-0.29%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.537, UK 10-year yield at 4.7500, Germany 10-year yield at 2.6375
News & Data:
- (USD) Unemployment Claims 227K to 230K expected
Markets Update:
Asia-Pacific markets mostly advanced on Friday as investors digested a range of regional economic data. Japan led the gains, with the Nikkei 225 rising 1.04% and the Topix climbing 0.89%. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.36%, though the Kosdaq dipped 0.34%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.33%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index and China’s CSI 300 were flat at the open.
Markets also responded to news that the U.S. and China have agreed to maintain dialogue, following a call between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, as confirmed by China’s Foreign Ministry.
On the economic front, Japan’s core inflation rose to 3.5% in April, driven partly by higher rice prices. The data comes as the Bank of Japan weighs a possible pause in its rate hikes amid uncertainty around U.S. tariffs. Investors are also analyzing South Korea’s April Producer Price Index and New Zealand’s first-quarter retail sales.
Singapore reported a 0.7% year-on-year rise in April core inflation, exceeding the 0.5% forecast by Reuters.
In the U.S., stock futures were little changed. Dow futures inched up 14 points (0.03%), S&P 500 futures rose 0.03%, and Nasdaq 100 futures were slightly lower. Overnight, Wall Street closed mixed amid concerns over rising interest rates and the growing U.S. deficit. The 30-year Treasury yield reached a new high since 2023. The Dow slipped slightly by 1.35 points, while the S&P 500 fell 0.04%. The Nasdaq rose 0.28%.
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