Asian Markets Show Mixed Responses to Japan's Economic Data

On Friday, the Asia-Pacific stock markets exhibited mixed reactions as investors analyzed fresh economic data from Japan. The Statistics Bureau of Japan revealed that the unemployment rate remained steady at 2.4%, while Tokyo's annual inflation rate saw an increase to 3.4%. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported a 0.3% rise in industrial output, contrasting with a 0.7% decline in retail sales for December.

Market Movements Across the Region

South Korea's Kospi experienced a downturn, decreasing by 1.15% by 3:24 am CET. Conversely, Japan's Nikkei 225 remained stable at the same time. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 enjoyed a modest gain of 0.39% by 3:26 am CET. Markets in Hong Kong and China were closed for the holidays, providing a pause in trading activities in these significant markets.

Currency Fluctuations

In the currency markets, the dollar saw a slight decrease of 0.18% against the yen, trading at 153.98700 by 3:27 am CET. This movement reflects the ongoing adjustments in response to the latest economic data and market sentiments.