The investors in the Asian markets looked optimistically cautious on Friday as most of the indices rebounded and ended the day in green. As the United States delayed its decision to attack Iran, the market sentiment shifted in favor of bulls.
The developments came as news came overnight that US President Donald Trump will take two weeks to decide how deep the United States wants to dig in the Middle East conflict.
This seems to be the first good news around the Israel-Iran conflict as it provides scope for other parties to engage with Israel and Iran and take them to the negotiating table for the ceasefire.
Nikkei 225 slips at closing while Hang Seng displays resilience
Japan’s stock market slipped on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 closing down 0.21% as declines in the paper & pulp, transport, and communication sectors weighed on the index.
Lasertec Corp led the gainers, jumping 4.97%, followed by Amada up 4.43%, and Advantest Corp rising 4.24%. On the downside, Nintendo dropped 4.11%, DeNA fell 3.62%, and Japan Steel Works lost 3.32%.
The Hang Seng Index closed sharply higher today, rising 1.26% to finish at 23,530.48 points, snapping a three-day losing streak.
Gains were led by tech stocks, with the Hang Seng Tech Index up 0.88%. The broader market sentiment was buoyed despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and cautious trading across Asia.
South Korea’s KOSPI breaks 3000 mark
South Korea’s Kospi 100 soared today, closing at 3,029.46, up 1.60% and breaking above the 3,000-point mark for the first time in over three years. This rally was driven by optimism around government stimulus policies, strong foreign and institutional buying, and a boost in global liquidity.
Meanwhile, China’s CSI 300 index also edged higher, rising 0.92% as investor sentiment improved across Asian markets, while the Shanghai Composite posted a more modest losses of 0.22%.
Australian shares ended lower today, with the S&P/ASX 200 falling 0.21% to close at 8,505.5. This marked the fourth consecutive session of declines, though the index managed to recover from deeper losses earlier in the day.
Sensex stages a comeback
Indian benchmark indices staged a comeback on Friday as Sensex and Nifty rose sharply during the day.
At the closing bell, Sensex jumped 1,046 (1.29%) to end at 82,408.17, while Nifty 50 breached the crucial 25,000-level resistance to close at 25,112.40.
Banking, financial services, and real estate stocks powered today’s market rally, lifted by upbeat signals from Asian markets and renewed foreign investor inflows.
The surge was further boosted by the Reserve Bank of India’s new project financing guidelines, which eased funding requirements for infrastructure and real estate, making it cheaper for lenders to support these sectors.
With a hope of easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a drop in oil prices, the market sentiment is witnessing a shift, but investors will keep a strong watch over the events during the weekend.
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