Asian Markets Show Mixed Reactions to Japan's Inflation Data

Investors across the Asia-Pacific region faced a mostly downward trend in stock indexes this Friday, as they processed the latest inflation figures from Japan. The Statistics Bureau of Japan reported an inflation rate holding steady at 2.9%, a figure that has sparked varied responses across the region's financial markets.

Market Movements Across the Region

Japan's Nikkei 225 experienced a significant drop, losing 2.13% by 3:17 am CET. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and the Shenzhen Composite showed little change, trading flat shortly after. Not far behind, South Korea's Kospi fell by 1.74%, and China's Shanghai Composite saw a slight decrease of 0.23%. In contrast, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 bucked the trend with a modest gain of 0.27%.

Currency Fluctuations

The dollar also felt the impact, trading 0.18% lower against the yen at 3:22 am CET, with the exchange rate settling at 150.77150.