Hong Kong, April 12, 2024, According to the AP, Asian stocks faced a predominantly downward trend on Friday. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo saw a modest increase of 0.4%, reaching 39,609.60. Conversely, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index experienced a notable decline of 1.7%, settling at 16,826.98, while the Shanghai Composite index edged slightly lower by 0.1% to 3,032.22.
South Korea's Kospi also registered a decline, shedding 0.7% to reach 2,686.89 following the Bank of Korea's decision to maintain its benchmark rate at 3.50%. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.3%, closing at 7,786.70.
In currency trading, the dollar was at 153.23 Japanese yen, a slight dip from its recent 34-year high of 153.32 yen recorded on Wednesday. Similarly, the euro saw a decrease, trading at $1.0717 compared to $1.0731 previously.
