Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Friday after China kept benchmark rates steady, while investors monitored escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 85.11 points, or 0.2%, to 38,403.23. Japan’s core inflation rate climbed to 3.7% in May, its highest level since January 2023. The metric — which strips out costs for fresh food — was higher than the 3.6% expected by economists polled by Reuters and is above April’s print of 3.5%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng recovered 292.74 points, or 1.3%, to 23,530.48.
Korean stocks hit their highest point in over 42 months, after crossing the 3,000 mark for the first time in 42 months, earlier in the session
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 nosed ahead 3.55 points, or 0.1%, to 3,846.64, after the People’s Bank of China expectedly kept its loan rates unchanged at 3.0% for the one-year loan prime rate and 3.5% for the five-year LPR.
In other markets
Markets in New Zealand were shuttered for holiday.
In Korea, the Kospi index added 44.1 points, or 1.5%, to 3,021.84.
In Taiwan, the Taiex index forged ahead 42.24 points, or 0.2%, to 22,045.74.
In Singapore, the Straits Times index deleted 10.75 points, or 0.3%, to 3,883.43
In Australia, the ASX 200 lost 18.21 points, or 0.2%, to 8,505.48.
