What's Affecting Markets Today
Asian markets continue rebound
Japanese stocks led gains in Asia on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 surging over 3%, marking its best weekly performance in four years. Japan’s broader Topix index also advanced more than 2%, reflecting strong market sentiment.
In Singapore, non-oil domestic exports for July surged 15.7% year-on-year, a sharp recovery from June’s 8.8% decline and far exceeding Reuters’ forecast of 1.2% growth. Total trade in Singapore grew by 13.7% in July, building on June’s 1.2% increase, driven by rising exports and imports.
South Korea’s Kospi returned from a public holiday to trade 1.75% higher, while the small-cap Kosdaq rose 0.94%.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1.69%, and mainland China’s CSI 300 saw a modest increase, reflecting a cautiously positive sentiment in the region’s markets. These gains underline the broader optimism across Asian markets, supported by strong economic data and investor confidence.
ASX Stocks
ASX 200 - 7,854.9 (+0.4%)
Key Highlights:
Leaders
ZIP – ZIP Co Ltd (+12.95%)
ADT – Adriatic Metals Plc (+11.45%)
GYG – Guzman Y Gomez Ltd (+8.88%)
CSC – Capstone Copper Corp (+7.79%)
JHX – James Hardie Industries Plc (+6.01%)
Laggards
PWH – PWR Holdings Ltd (-16.21%)
SNZ – Summerset Group Holdings Ltd (-4.91%)
CU6 – Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd (-4.76%)
GQG – GQG Partners Inc (-4.04%)
AMC – Amcor Plc (-3.13%)
