Asian markets delivered a mixed performance on Friday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 erasing its gains for the week ahead of a key US inflation reading.
The index dropped 1.3pc after weaker-than-expected household spending underscored the strain inflation is placing on consumers. Expectations for a Bank of Japan rate hike later this month strengthened, pushing the 10-year JGB yield to 1.94pc — its highest level since 2007. The benchmark yield is on track for a 12.5bp rise this week, the sharpest five-day increase since March. Still, solid demand at recent bond auctions suggests that cheaper prices are attracting buyers.
A quarter-point rate rise from the BoJ is now priced at around 75pc after Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday that policymakers would carefully weigh the “pros and cons” of tightening.
Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.1pc to 25,921.69, while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1pc to 3,877.83 as traders stayed cautious before next week’s Chinese data releases — including inflation, trade figures and producer prices — and awaited signals from upcoming high-level economic meetings.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.1pc to 4,074.00, helped by strong moves in LG Electronics (+5.6pc) and Hyundai Motors (+7.2pc). Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added less than 0.1pc to 8,623.40, and Taiwan’s Taiex was broadly flat.
The broader MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index gained 0.4pc and is on course for a weekly rise of 1pc, with South Korea leading regional advances.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped nearly 0.1pc, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.1pc and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.2pc.
