Asian stocks ended lower on Friday, paring gains from the previous session sparked by US President Donald Trump’s 90-day tariff pause.
While mainland Chinese and Hong Kong shares rose on expectations of policy support, most other regional markets declined, weighed down by renewed concerns over trade tensions and a stronger yen.
China, Hong Kong stocks gain on stimulus hopes
China’s Shanghai Composite edged up 0.45% to 3,238.23 as investors awaited signals from a high-level government meeting expected to outline further stimulus measures.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index advanced 1.13% to 20,914.69 following Trump’s remarks that initial trade deals were “very close” and that he remained optimistic about future negotiations with Beijing.
Mainland investor flows helped pare losses during what has been the Hang Seng’s worst week since 2018.
Shares of electric-vehicle and semiconductor firms posted strong gains.
BYD surged 7.2%, Li Auto rose 5.6%, and SMIC climbed 5.9%.
On the downside, Trip.com dropped 4.6%, while Alibaba and Meituan slipped 1.7% and 1.3%, respectively.
Japan market slides
Japanese equities retreated sharply, dragged lower by a stronger yen that pressured export-heavy sectors.
The Nikkei 225 fell 2.96% to 33,585.58, and the broader Topix declined 2.85% to 2,466.91.
Major exporters saw heavy selling. Toyota, Panasonic, Sony, and Canon each dropped between 4% and 7%.
Fast Retailing, parent of Uniqlo, declined over 2%, and chip equipment supplier Advantest shed 4.6%.
Bucking the trend, Baycurrent surged 12.5% after raising its profit outlook and unveiling a share buyback.
Indian markets end in green
Indian markets that opened after a holiday on April 10 ended the session strongly higher.
At the close of trading, the Sensex surged by 1,310.11 points, or 1.77%, to settle at 75,157.26. The Nifty followed suit, rising by 429.40 points, or 1.92%, to finish at 22,828.55.
Among the biggest gainers on the Nifty were Hindalco Industries, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Coal India, and Jio Financial.
Other regional markets
In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.5% to 2,432.72 as the trade standoff between the US and China weighed on sentiment.
Key stocks such as Samsung Electronics, POSCO Holdings, LG Energy Solution, and Hyundai Motor fell between 2% and 5%.
Australian markets also pulled back amid concerns about global growth.
The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.82% to 7,646.50, while the All Ordinaries slipped 0.76% to 7,853.70. Mining, energy, and healthcare shares led losses.
Wall Street on Thursday
After a historic rally on Wednesday, US stocks experienced a steep decline during Thursday’s trading session.
The major indices posted substantial losses but remained well above their recent lows.
The Nasdaq dropped 737.66 points, or 4.3%, to 16,387.31, the S&P 500 fell 188.85 points, or 3.5%, to 5,268.05, and the Dow Jones lost 1,014.79 points, or 2.5%, to 39,593.66.
The market’s pullback came amid growing concerns about escalating trade tensions between the US and China.
President Trump’s decision to exclude China from the tariff pause and implement a 125% tariff on Chinese imports added further pressure on investor sentiment.
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