Asian Markets Track Wall Street Higher

(RTTNews) - Asian stock markets are trading mostly higher on Friday, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, as concerns about the world's largest economy slipping into a recession eased after data released showed a bigger than expected drop in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits last week. This also raised the prospects of a series of interest rate cuts in the upcoming months. Asian markets ended mostly lower on Thursday.

Recouping the losses the previous session, the Australian stock market is sharply higher on Friday, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is moving well above the 7,700 level, with gains across most sectors led by gold miners and technology stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is gaining 105.00 points or 1.37 percent to 7,787.00, after touching a high of 7,786.10 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is up 110.40 points or 1.40 percent to 7,996.90. Australian markets ended modestly lower on Thursday.

Among major miners, BHP Group is edging up 0.3 percent, Mineral Resources is adding almost 1 percent and Rio Tinto is gaining more than 1 percent. Fortescue Metals is flat. Oil stocks are mostly higher. Origin Energy is gaining almost 1 percent and Woodside Energy is adding more than 2 percent, while Beach energy and Santos are advancing almost 2 percent each.

Among tech stocks, Afterpay owner Block is surging more than 5 percent, Xero is adding almost 3 percent and WiseTech Global is advancing more than 3 percent, while Zip and Appen are gaining almost 5 percent each.

Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac are edging up 0.2 to 0.5 percent each, while National Australia Bank is gaining almost 1 percent and ANZ Banking is adding more than 1 percent. Gold miners are mostly higher. Evolution Mining, Newmont and Northern Star Resources are gaining almost 2 percent each, while Gold Road Resources is adding more than 3 percent and Resolute Mining is advancing almost 3 percent.

In other news, shares in Life360 are skyrocketing more than 18 percent after the family tracking app upgraded its full-year revenue guidance amid a jump in its user-base last quarter and global expansion plans.

In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.660 on Friday.

Reversing the losses in the previous session, the Japanese stock market is trading sharply higher on Friday, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark Nikkei 225 is moving to near the 35,400 level, with gains across all sectors led by index heavyweights and financial stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 35,380.23, up 549.08 points or 1.58 percent, after touching a high of 35,671.31 earlier. Japanese stocks closed significantly lower on Thursday.

Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is gaining more than 5 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is adding more than 1 percent. Among automakers, Honda is gaining more than 2 percent and Toyota is edging up 0.1 percent.

In the tech space, Advantest is gaining more than 3 percent, while Tokyo Electron and Screen Holdings are edging up 0.2 to 0.5 percent each.

In the banking sector, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is gaining almost 1 percent, Mizuho Financial is advancing more than 3 percent and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial is advancing more than 4 percent.

Among major exporters, Mitsubishi Electric is declining more than 2 percent, while Canon is gaining almost 3 percent, Sony is adding almost 2 percent and Panasonic is advancing 1.5 percent.

Among other major gainers, JGC Holdings and Itochu are soaring almost 7 percent each, while Recruit Holdings and Concordia Financial are surging more than 6 percent each. Terumo, Fukuoka Financial and Mitsui Mining & Smelting are gaining almost 6 percent each, while Resonac Holdings, Chiba Bank, Chugai Pharmaceutical, DeNA and Resona Holdings are advancing more than 5 percent each. Orix and NTN are upalmost 5 percent each.

Conversely, NEXON is plummeting more than 12 percent, Shiseido is plunging almost 12 percent Sumco is sliding almost 10 percent and Nikon is slipping almost 9 percent, while Amada and BANDAI NAMCO are declining more than 4 percent each. Taiyo Yuden is losing almost 4 percent and Taiheiyo Cement is down almost 3 percent.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 147 yen-range on Friday.

Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan is surging 2.9 percent, Hong Kong is gaining 1.7 percent and South Korea is up 1.4 percent, while China, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia are higher by between 0.3 and 0.8 percent each. Singapore is closed for the National Day holiday. On Wall Street, stocks moved sharply higher during trading on Thursday, with the major averages more than offsetting the downturn seen over the course of the previous session. The major averages surged early in the session and saw further upside as the day progressed.

The major averages moved roughly sideways going into the close, hovering near their best levels of the day. The Nasdaq soared 464.22 points or 2.9 percent to 16,660.02, the Nasdaq spiked 119.81 points or 2.3 percent to 5,319.31 and the Dow jumped 683.04 points or 1.8 percent to 39,446.49.

Meanwhile, the major European markets turned in a mixed performance on the day. While the German DAX Index climbed by 0.4 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index both fell by 0.3 percent.

Crude oil prices settled higher on Thursday, amid possible supply disruptions due to Middle East tensions, and on hopes of increased demand in the U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for September ended higher by $0.96 or 1.28 percent at $76.19 a barrel.