Asia-Pacific Markets Close Lower
On Friday, Asia-Pacific markets finished the day mainly in the negative territory.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong decreased by 0.89%, closing at 24,858.82, while mainland China’s CSI 300 index fell by 0.24% to 4,104.97.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose sharply by 1.85% to finish at 41,820.48. Additionally, the broader Topix index increased by 1.21%, reaching 3,024.21.
Meanwhile, South Korea saw the Kospi index retreat by 0.55% to close at 3,210.01, whereas the smaller Kosdaq index rose by 0.43% to 809.27.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark decreased by 0.28%, ending at 8,807.10.
In India, the benchmark Nifty 50 was down by 0.64%, and the BSE Sensex lost 0.65%, as of 2:02 p.m. Indian Standard Time (4:32 a.m. ET).
— Amala Balakrishner
Ethereum Rallies Over 1% to 7-Month High
Ethereum continued its upward trend on Friday, reaching a price of $3,966.21, marking a 7-month peak.
As of 4:35 p.m. Singapore time (4:35 a.m. ET), the cryptocurrency was trading at $3,889.70, reflecting a gain of 0.94%.
Toyota Motor Adjusts Previous Gains to 3.5%
Shares of Toyota Motor moderated previous gains to settle 3.47% higher on Friday, following the announcement of its first fiscal quarter earnings on Thursday.
The Japanese automaker reported a 37% drop in net income, amounting to 841.3 billion yen ($5.71 billion).
— Amala Balakrishner
Indian Stocks Decline in Early Trade
Indian stocks exhibited a downward trend during early trading on Friday as investors processed U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on imports from India.
The benchmark Nifty 50 decreased by 0.31%, while the BSE Sensex index fell by 0.18% as of 9:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time (12 a.m. ET).
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Surges Over 2%
Japanese stocks saw a rise on Friday, led by the blue-chip Nikkei 225 benchmark which advanced over 2%.
The index increased by 2.22%, reaching 41,968.68, while the broader Topix index rose by 1.65% to 3,037.11, surpassing the 3,000 mark for the first time.
SoftBank Group Shares Surge 13% After Quarterly Profit Exceeds Expectations
Shares of SoftBank Group jumped 13% on Friday, reaching a new record high following the company’s better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings report.
This marks the company’s sharpest intraday increase since 2020 and represents its strongest day in almost five years if these gains hold.
— Amala Balakrishner
