Asian stock markets closed mixed on Friday amid cautious sentiment ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariff deadline set for July 9. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% to 39,762.20, reversing earlier gains, while South Korea’s KOSPI dropped 1.2% to 3,078.31. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.6%, settling at 23,914.44. Conversely, China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.4% to 3,475.24. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 and India’s Sensex both inched up by 0.1%, closing at 8,609.50 and 83,288.73, respectively, reports AP.
Investors remain wary as most of Trump’s proposed import tariffs are on hold but scheduled to take effect next week unless new trade deals are reached. “Asian markets crept into Friday cautiously, as U.S. equities surged post-payroll but trade jitters linger,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.
In the U.S., a stronger-than-expected jobs report fueled gains, pushing the S&P 500 up 0.8% to a new record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 344 points (0.8%), and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1%.
Oil prices dipped slightly, with U.S. crude falling 19 cents to $68.81 per barrel and Brent crude easing 30 cents to $68.50. Currency markets saw the U.S. dollar weaken to 144.48 Japanese yen from 144.92, while the euro edged up to $1.1771 from $1.1761.
As markets await further developments, investors balance optimism from strong U.S. economic data with concerns over potential trade disruptions.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
