Asia-Pacific stocks demonstrated mixed performance on Friday, July 14. While the Hong Kong market climbed for the fifth consecutive session, Japanese stocks saw a slight decline.
Hong Kong Market
The Hang Seng Index (HSI) of Hong Kong companies recorded a 0.3% increase, reaching 19,413.78. Among the constituents of the index, China Unicom (Hong Kong) experienced the largest gain, with its shares rising by 5.3%. Marine transport firm Orient Overseas Intl and aluminum company China Hongqiao Group also saw significant increases of 2.8% and 2.7% respectively.
On the other hand, pharmaceuticals company Hansoh Pharmaceutical witnessed the largest drop in Hong Kong, with its shares weakening by 3.8%.
Japanese Market
The Nikkei 225 Index of Japanese companies went down by 0.1%, ending at 32,391.26. Advantest Corp, a semiconductors company, stood out as the leading gainer with a 5.7% increase in its shares. Marine freight firm Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and cinema film production company Toho Co Ltd also experienced notable gains of 3.9% and 3.2% respectively.
Conversely, Seven & I Holdings, a mixed retailing company, suffered the largest decline with shares dropping by 5.1%.
Other Markets
China’s Shanghai Composite Index remained flat at 3,237.70, while Singapore stocks displayed a positive trend with The FTSE Straits Times Index increasing by 0.3% to reach 3,248.93.
In South Korea, the KOSPI Composite Index recorded a gain of 1.4% to reach 2,628.30, indicating a positive performance for South Korean stocks.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Benchmark Index also experienced a rise of 0.8% to reach 7,303.10.
Conclusion
Asia-Pacific stock markets displayed mixed results, with the Hong Kong market continuing its upward climb, while Japanese stocks experienced a slight decline. Investors closely monitored the performances of major companies within these markets.