Asian Shares Mixed As Caution Grips Markets Ahead Of US Jobs Data

RTTNews | vor 1098 Tagen

(RTTNews) - Asian stocks ended mixed on Friday as investors awaited a key U.S. jobs report due later in the day that could influence Federal Reserve plans for more interest rate hikes to curb record-high inflation.

The dollar held at a two-decade high, and gold dipped below $1,700 per ounce, while oil prices climbed in Asian trade, paring a hefty weekly decline ahead of next week's OPEC+ meeting.

China's Shanghai Composite index fluctuated before finishing marginally higher at 3,186.48. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.74 percent to 19,452.09 amid new lockdowns in China triggered by COVID-19 scares.

Chengdu, the sixth-largest city in the People's Republic, with a population of 21 million entered full lockdown yesterday following new virus outbreaks.

Japanese stocks closed lower, with a weakening yen helping limit the downside to some extent. The Nikkei average ended marginally lower at 27,650.84 and posted a 3.4 percent weekly decline. The broader Topix index slipped 0.27 percent to 1,930.17.

Gaming company Nexon tumbled 3.1 percent after reporting quarterly earnings. Department store operators J.Front Retailing and Isetan Mitsukoshi both gained around 2 percent.

Seoul stocks fell for a second day running as the latest price data showed inflation in the country would stay elevated for a while. The Kospi average ended 0.26 percent lower at 2,409.41 after a choppy trading.

Samsung Electronics fell 1.5 percent and SK Hynix shed 0.8 percent after data showed chip shipments dropped 7.8 percent year-on-year in August - marking the first on-year drop in 26 months. Chemical firm LG Chem and steelmaker POSCO lost 2-3 percent.

Australian markets finished modestly lower ahead of RBA' s interest-rate decision due next week. Lower iron ore and metal prices weighed on the mining sector, with BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group all falling more than 2 percent.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ended 0.25 percent lower at 6,828.70 and fell 3.9 percent for the week. The broader All Ordinaries index closed 0.33 percent lower at 7,056.30.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index rose 0.16 percent to 11,628.25 as A2 Milk extended recent gains after reporting positive annual results earlier this week. Shares rose 1.7 percent for the day, taking the weekly gain to 18 percent.

U.S. stocks reversed course before ending mixed overnight, as data showed manufacturing grew steadily in August and the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance unexpectedly dropped last week.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended 0.3 percent lower following new restrictions on exports of cutting-edge chips from Nvidia to China. The Dow rose half a percent and the S&P 500 edged up 0.3 percent.

Japan Household Spending Data Due On Friday

Japan will on Friday release July figures for household spending, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Spending is expected to rise 1.3 percent on month and 2.2 percent on year after sinking 5.2 percent on month and climbing 1.3 percent on year in June.

RTTNews | vor 32 Minuten

Swiss Franc Falls Against Majors

The Swiss franc dropped against its major counterparts in the New York session on Thursday.

RTTNews | vor 1Std 49 Minuten

Canadian Market Looks Headed For Another Positive Close

The Canadian market is firmly placed in positive territory Thursday afternoon, thanks largely to a fine performance by several technology stocks, and a few frontline stocks from consumer discretionary, real estate, communications and financials sectors.

RTTNews | vor 4Std 24 Minuten

Swiss Market Closes On Buoyant Note

The Switzerland market closed on a strong note on Thursday, in line with most of the markets across Europe, amid rising expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve, and easing concerns about tariffs.

RTTNews | vor 4Std 59 Minuten

European Stocks Close Higher Ahead Of Crucial U.S. Jobs Data

European stocks closed mostly higher on Thursday, with most of the markets in the region gaining for a second straight day amid cooling bond markets. Still, the mood in the markets remained a bit cautious with investors looking ahead to crucial U.S. non-farm payroll data on Friday.

RTTNews | vor 5Std 34 Minuten

U.S. Services Index Climbs To Six-Month High In August

Service sector growth in the U.S. accelerated by more than anticipated in the month of August, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Thursday. The ISM said its services PMI rose to 52.0 in August from 50.1 in July, with a reading above 50 indicating growth. Economists had expected the index to inch up to 50.5.

RTTNews | vor 8Std 1 Minuten

U.S. Labor Productivity Surges 3.3% In Q2, Much More Than Previously Estimated

A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed labor productivity in the U.S. surged by much more than previously estimated in the second quarter of 2025. The Labor Department said labor productivity shot up by 3.3 percent in the second quarter compared to the previously reported 2.4 percent jump. Economists had expected the increase in labor productivity to be unrevised.

RTTNews | vor 8Std 19 Minuten

U.S. Trade Deficit Widens More Than Expected As Imports Spike

With the value of imports spiking, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing the U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in the month of July. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit shot up to $78.3 billion in July from a revised $59.6 billion in June. Economists had expected the trade deficit to increase to $75.7 billion.

RTTNews | vor 8Std 49 Minuten

EURUSD	1.16503	GBPUSD	1.34344	AUDUSD	0.65174
USDJPY	148.452	USDCAD	1.38184	USDCHF	0.80566