Asia-Pacific markets exhibited a mixed performance on Friday, reflecting the lackluster session observed on Wall Street. Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 experienced an increase of 0.19%, reaching a level of 8,634.6. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index experienced a decline of 1.05%, closing at 50,491.87, while the Topix also fell by 1.05%, finishing at 3,362.56. Yields on the Japanese 10-year government bond increased to 1.94%, marking the highest level since July 2007, according to data. South Korea’s Kospi increased by 1.78%, reaching 4,100.05, whereas the Kosdaq Index experienced a decline of 0.55%, settling at 924.74. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index increased by 0.5%, whereas the mainland CSI 300 rose by 0.84% to reach 4,584.54.

Moore Threads experienced a remarkable surge of over 400% on its debut in Shanghai after its $1.1 billion listing. Market participants are closely monitoring technology equities in light of recent apprehensions regarding a potential bubble. SoftBank’s shares experienced an increase of nearly 4%, marking the third consecutive day of upward movement. The equity reduced some of its gains and was last observed trading 1.02% higher. Founder Masayoshi Son on Monday minimized the significance of the decision to divest the conglomerate’s complete Nvidia stake, stating he “was crying” over the separation from the shares.

India’s Nifty 50 increased by 0.2% following the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to reduce its policy rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%, aligning with the expectations set by economists. The monetary policy committee reached a unanimous decision to implement a reduction, referencing “weakness in some key economic indicators.” This comes despite a notable easing in headline inflation, which is anticipated to be revised downward in the first quarter of 2025, according to RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra. Overnight in the U.S., the three major averages exhibited a mixed performance. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite experienced a modest increase as market participants positioned themselves ahead of the forthcoming interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve next week.

The broad-based index increased by 0.11%, closing at 6,857.12, whereas the Nasdaq Composite rose by a modest 0.22%, finishing at 23,505.14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a modest decline of 31.96 points, or 0.07%, settling at 47,850.94.