The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.5% to below 38,500, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.3% to 2,726 on Friday, marking a third consecutive session of declines. The pullback came as hotter-than-expected inflation figures reinforced a hawkish outlook for Bank of Japan monetary policy. Data revealed that core inflation in Japan accelerated to 3.2% in January, up from 3% in December, surpassing forecasts of 3.1%. Headline inflation also rose to 4% from 3.6%, hitting a two-year high. The benchmark indexes were further pressured this week by US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and hawkish...
(Hong Kong) The Hang Seng Index has opened with a notable increase of 513 points, or 2.27%, reaching 23,090 points. Meanwhile, the National Enterprises Index rose by 203 points, equivalent to 2.45%, settling at 8,526 points. The Technology Index also saw significant gains, climbing 184 points, or 3.36%, to 5,684 points.Leading the charge were technology stocks, with Alibaba experiencing a remarkable surge of 10% after its earnings report. Tencent rose by 3.7%, Meituan by 1.2%, Xiaomi Group by 1.8%, JD.com by 4.5%, Kuaishou by 4.5%, and Bilibili saw an impressive increase of 9.4%.In the...
Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed Friday as investors assessed inflation data from Japan, while the threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs dents investor sentiment. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.43%, while the Topix declined 0.33%. Japan's inflation rate in January climbed to 4%, hitting its highest level since January 2023. Core inflation — which excludes prices of fresh food — rose to 3.2%, beating Reuters' expectations of 3.1%.South Korea's Kospi traded 0.42% lower while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.43%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.25%, while the Hang Seng Tech index added...