Reuters
Asian stock markets dropped in early trading Friday, as trade and broader geopolitical concerns continue to weigh on over investor sentiment.
Japan’s Nikkei NIK, -0.75% was off 0.5% and barely hanging on to a weekly gain. Tokyo Electron 8035, -3.47% was down 3.5% and Nintendo 7974, -2.25% was off more than 1%. Inpex 1605, -3.85% dropped 3.6% as Brent crude futures LCOV8, +0.17% fell to their lowest level in almost a month. That came as the dollar USDJPY, -0.32% remained just above ¥111 following Japan’s better-than-expected second-quarter GDP report — which had little impact on local markets. Yields for 10-year Japanese government bonds were off a half-basis-point at 0.105%.
South Korea’s Kospi SEU, -0.76% opened solidly lower, hit by weakness in Samsung 005930, -3.30% , which was off more than 3.5% after its new Galaxy Note 9 device was unveiled but won few fans.
After four days of gains, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index HSI, -0.46% was off 0.2%. Property stocks rebounded, with CR Land 1109, +2.86% and Country Garden 2007, +2.04% bouncing more than 2%. But tech was weak, and Tencent 0700, -1.18% fell 0.8%.
As in Hong Kong, Chinese stocks got a lift from the beaten-down real-estate segment. The broader market extended Thursday’s bounce, with the Shanghai Composite SHCOMP, -0.14% up 0.2% and the Shenzhen Composite 399106, +0.29% up 0.6%. Energy names continued to retreat on weak oil prices.
Australia’s benchmark index XJO, -0.16% was down fractionally, as energy stocks continued to sag. Oil Search OSH, -2.25% was down 2% and Woodside Petroleum WPL, -1.13% was off 1%. Meanwhile, there was nothing in the Friday’s policy/forecast report from the Reserve Bank of Australia to suggest it’s getting closer to raising interest rates. Stocks in New Zealand NZ50GR, +0.46% were up slightly after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand took a dovish stand on rates the day before, pushing back its rate-hike forecasts by a full year to 2020.
Malaysian stocks FBMKLCI, +0.20% were about flat after having already risen 21 of the past 24 days. Singapore’s Strait Times Index STI, -1.21% , which was closed Thursday for a holiday, dove more than 1%, and Taiwan’s Taiex Y9999, -0.26% was in the red as well.
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