Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down -0.77%, Shanghai Composite down -0.36%, Hang Seng down -0.33% ASX up 0.37%
- Commodities : Gold at $3,687.90 (0.26%), Silver at $42.498 (0.90%), Brent Oil at $67.16 (-0.42%), WTI Oil at $63.23 (-0.53%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.120, UK 10-year yield at 4.6810, Germany 10-year yield at 2.7160
News & Data:
- (GBP) Official Bank Rate 4.00% to 4.00% expected
- (USD) Unemployment Claims 231K to 241K expected
Markets Update:
Asian stock markets traded mixed on Friday, tracking Wall Street’s overnight gains as investors assessed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest quarter-point rate cut. Fed projections signaled two more cuts this year but only one in 2026, with policymakers divided on the outlook.
Technology stocks lifted sentiment across the region, echoing Nasdaq’s rally after Intel surged nearly 23 percent on news of a collaboration with Nvidia to co-develop next-generation data center and PC products.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 advanced 72.10 points or 0.82 percent to 8,817.30, with financials, energy, and tech stocks offsetting mixed mining performance. Oil names like Origin Energy gained over 3 percent, while tech firms such as Zip and Block rose up to 3 percent. Banks also saw broad gains, led by Commonwealth Bank. Telix Pharmaceuticals jumped more than 7 percent after Citi rated it a “buy.”
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 348.65 points or 0.77 percent to 45,652.08, touching a record high earlier in the session. Automakers Toyota and Honda advanced, while tech majors Advantest and Screen Holdings gained sharply. Inflation data showed consumer prices rising 2.7 percent annually in August, easing from July, as the Bank of Japan prepared to conclude its policy meeting, widely expected to keep rates unchanged.
Elsewhere, markets were mixed: China, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia slipped, while New Zealand and Hong Kong advanced modestly.
On Wall Street, the Nasdaq led Thursday’s rally, up 0.9 percent, with the S&P 500 and Dow also closing higher.
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