Asia-Pacific markets mixed as investors assess Trump reciprocal tariffs plan

Asia-Pacific markets have been mixed Friday, after Wall Avenue rose in a single day as President Donald Trump signed a reciprocal tariffs plan, however didn’t enact the levies instantly.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 Index rose 0.65%, whereas Hong Kong’s Dangle Seng index surged 1.86%, extending its positive factors from the earlier session.

South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.37% and the small-cap Kosdaq superior 1.12%.

The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment price hit 2.9% in January, easing from its three-year excessive of three.7% within the month earlier than.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was buying and selling down 0.68%, whereas the broader Topix index misplaced 0.14%.

India’s benchmark Nifty 50 misplaced 0.81%, whereas the BSE Sensex index was down 0.46%, in uneven buying and selling.

The South Asian nation is anticipating its wholesale value inflation figures for January later within the day. The index is anticipated to rise 2.5% in January, greater than the two.37% progress within the earlier month, based on LSEG knowledge.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.19% increased at 8,555.80.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore’s financial system expanded by 4.4% in 2024, its quickest progress since 2021, knowledge from the Ministry of Commerce and Trade reveals. GDP was up 5% yr on yr within the fourth-quarter of 2024, surpassing the 4.7% progress price anticipated by Reuters.

Investors have been watching the city-state’s Straits Occasions Index which hit an all-time excessive at the beginning of the week. The 30-stock benchmark, nonetheless, fell 0.17%, following the GDP announcement.

In the meantime, Malaysia’s financial system grew 5.1% in 2024, knowledge from Financial institution Negara reveals. Its GDP expanded 5% within the final quarter of the yr, higher than the 4.8% estimated by Reuters.