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Asian markets settle higher on Friday
Jul-03-2026
Asian markets settled higher on Friday as cooler-than-expected US jobs data prompted traders to scale back bets on Federal Reserve rate hikes. Data showed that US Nonfarm payrolls increased by 57,000 jobs in June, slower than the downwardly revised 129,000 added in May and worse than the street forecast of 115,000. Regional sentiment was also bolstered by easing geopolitical risks, following progress in US-Iran talks and signs of improved shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea's Kospi index soared, rebounding sharply from a brutal 7.89% collapse in the previous session, cheered by reports that South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ICT plan to divert 5 trillion KRW in chip-industry tax revenue entirely into proprietary AI models and public computing infrastructure. Chinese shares gained, despite a private survey showed China's services activity eased less than expected in June. Meanwhile, Japanese shares gained after data showed Japan's services sector returned to growth in June despite rising costs.

Asian Indices

Last Trade            

Change in Points

Change in %      

Shanghai Composite

4,043.64

14.74

0.37

Hang Seng

23,350.03

295.00

1.28

Jakarta Composite

5,875.78

131.22

2.23

KLSE Composite

1,679.05

17.22

1.04

Nikkei 225

69,744.07

1,010.92

1.47

Straits Times

5,244.29

27.14

0.52

KOSPI Composite

8,088.34

440.25

5.76

Taiwan Weighted

46,780.62

36.46

0.08

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